King of Erebor – A New Home
by Sky Venom
Summary: When Dís arrived at the Lonely Mountain, she was revolted by the outright maleness she had to face. Since there is only so much one dwarrowdam can do, she calls in reinforcements. Meanwhile, the underground river is missing, Thorin takes care of everything, Kíli's pining after Tauriel, and Fíli just wonders why he's the one wearing the crown and what that means.
1. An Exciting Night

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit.**

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 **King of Erebor – A New Home**

 **An Exciting Night**

More than a year passed since the dragon had been expelled from Erebor. The first winter under the Lonely Mountain was spent recovering from their battle wounds with the aid of men and elves. _Oh, those months were so comfortable!_ Fíli knew it was a foolish thought, but he couldn't help longing after those simple times. True, he'd got some nasty wounds on Ravenhill, but the Mountain offered them comfort and space. Back then, only the Company and the more adventurous half of Dáin's soldiers resided here – and men of Laketown occupied some outer chambers, with a few elves staying to help the wounded. Those were months of peace and rest, but when the snow melted, life changed.

When spring came, so came dwarven families, seeking shelter and a better future. Soon, the Mountain was bursting with life, and Fíli found himself with a crown on his head and a lot to do to guide his kingdom through the road of restoration to greatness.

He wasn't afraid of the new task, really. He'd always known this day would come, and considering that Thorin only abdicated, not died, his situation looked far better than he'd ever dared to wish. He was well-prepared and full of ideas. The population continued to grow, and restoration started. Most of Erebor was still in ruins, but day by day, everyone could see the development. People had to carve out their own apartments, but dwarves were sturdy and enduring, and fortunately, willing to forgo some comfort for the sake of a bigger prize.

His mother arrived just after the spring equinox. She was quite impatient to meet her sons again, so when she got word of retaking the mountain, she set out on her journey in just a few days. With "proper organization" and the help of a cartographer, she found her way through Middle-Earth during the winter. It must have been quite an adventure, but she rarely mentioned it; she travelled with other dwarrowdams, like Glóin's wife or Bombur's daughters and they did not want to reveal the details to the jealously protective husbands, fathers and brothers. She had gotten everyone here in one piece, and they should be glad!

Lady Dís, mother of Fíli, was a force to be reckoned with. According to malevolent gossips, Thorin's company set out on their quest because they feared her more than they feared a dragon. It was ridiculous of course, but she handled people with undeniable efficiency. Thus, smelling their dinner, Fíli knew he had to go. Amad always expected them to arrive on time.

He folded up the old map on his desk. He had been studying old maps and descriptions of Erebor lately. The dragon destroyed the inside of the Mountain extensively, causing collapsed bridges, cave-ins and rockfalls; and they had yet to find the main source of water. The web of the subterranean streams had been altered because of the destruction, and while they found a few smaller currents, no one had any idea where most of the water was running now. They knew the approximate place of its source near the top of the Mountain, but couldn't reach it. They also knew where it burst onto the surface, but the old bed inside was completely dry. As far as they knew, there could be a huge body of water stuck somewhere, which would flood the whole city if they moved the wrong rock.

Fíli stood up and stretched. Sniffing the air, he flinched. The smell indicated those weird eastern foods, and his stomach churned. He missed those simple home-cooked meals they used to eat in Ered Luin. Now, they had a professional cook, and foreign realms kept sending them samples of their products as gifts. According to Mother and Uncle, Fíli was obliged to try them all. He agreed, but he had already discovered his intense dislike for eastern flavors – yet, Amad, being in charge of the menu, kept ordering these meals. Unfortunately, no one else complained – most of the Company were grateful if they got invited to the royal table and didn't have to bother with taking care of their own food – and Dís creatively preached either about her views on the joy of learning about different cultures, or on royal responsibilities and privileges, or citing her motherly authority over her son, as a last resort. Probably, _she_ liked weird tasting food.

However, he would keep his complaints about food to himself. Really. There were starving people in this world while he complained about having too much luxury. It wouldn't do; he'd decided. He wanted to be a good king and a good person. He would just let the others eat up everything, and hope for something he could swallow without choking. He pulled open one of his drawers, and picked up a few elven peppermint candies, to take away the taste and calm his stomach at the end of the meal.

He opened the door to the corridor, only to find his mother with her hand raised for knocking. He smiled at her.

"Good evening, Amad."

"Good evening," she answered, and to give purpose to her raised hand, she pulled him closer for a quick touch of foreheads. "Dinner is ready, are you coming?" She looked him over, satisfied with what she saw.

Fíli smirked. "I was on my way, but you know, some lady came knocking and…"

"I wouldn't finish this very funny statement, son!" Dís said with a threatening tone, but laughing eyes. She hooked her hand in her son's arm. "Come."

They entered the dining room together.

"All hail the King!" they heard Bofur's usual toast. Fíli could never quite decide how to react, but a smile and raising his own cup worked just fine. Someone had already filled one for him, and now pushed it in his hand.

"Cheers!" he replied to Bofur, and gulped it all down.

It was a very bad idea. It was a foul eastern concoction. Were there no proper plants in the East?

When he fought down the urge to violently throw up right here, right now, he focused on the scene unfolding before him.

Dwalin was pulling out the chair for Dís – he knew his manners in the presence of a lady.

"Thank you, Dwalin," she thanked him regally with a warm smile. "Bofur, I see your new boots are still unfinished?" she inquired with fake politeness. Bofur was swinging on his chair leisurely, his dirty boots propped up on the table between his plates and Nori's. He reddened swiftly at Dís' comment, pushed himself into a proper sitting position and mumbled his excuse incoherently. Just in this moment, everyone could hear Kíli's loud belch and vindictive cry:

"Ha! Heard that, Nori? I told you I can be louder!" For emphasis, he jumped up from his seat and tried to let out another to further prove his point. Nori, having a little more sense than Kíli, pretended to have heard nothing and fetched back his knife from Óin, who stole it for the purpose of picking his teeth with it.

"Oi!" protested the healer.

"You can't clean your teeth with it," Nori stated.

"But you're always picking your nails with it! It's… it's its purpose!"

"It's mine," Nori shrugged nonchalantly, starting to clean his nails with it. He expertly flicked the dirt onto Kíli's plate, while the unsuspecting youth realized his previous mistake and waited for his mother's retribution.

"I can't hear you, you know," said Óin, playing out the deaf card, and stealing Kíli's fork to continue on his teeth. "It's quite rude, speaking quietly so I can't hear!"

"He said it's his!" Bofur shouted, when Nori wisely stayed silent. Fíli saw Dwalin hiding his laughter; he was fussing with Dís' chair and he was clearly not in a hurry of getting within her sights. Dís remembered him, though:

"Dwalin, sit down, please. You too, Fíli," she said. This time, her pleasantness was genuine. Dwalin sat down on her left side, while Fíli on her right. Usually, they formed the barrier between the Lady of Durin and the rest of the Company. "Shall we?" she asked, and then, nodded to the kitchen maid to bring their food.

They ate in silence. Fíli didn't mind it – since becoming king, he learnt to appreciate every moment, when no one pestered him. Looking up, he saw Dwalin stuffing his face; probably to hide his grin. They both knew how much Dís hated abominable table manners. _It shows a lack of respect_ , she claimed. For a long while, she was the one feeding them, so they learnt to cope. Others (notably everyone else) not too much. When her Ladyship first invited the whole Company for dinner, everyone ended up on the corridor before the meal even arrived – so great was her disgust seeing their behavior. She tried to educate them on proper table manners: some responded better than others, some not at all. Usually, she corrected them before or during they ate, but tonight, her silence implied a later, longer lecture. Everyone was trying to lay low, afraid to draw the lady's displeased attention on themselves. Fíli suppressed his grin too; he and Dwalin greatly enjoyed seeing the others groveling themselves back into her good graces.

 _There might be some fun tonight, after all_ ; Fíli decided.

Only the food… the silence led his thoughts back to the food on his plate. He carelessly pushed around the minuscule amount he was willing to eat. He felt Amad's hand patting his knee under the table. He looked up and she gently shook her head – thanks to his general good behavior, he never got corrected publicly. He laid down his silverware for a moment and pretended to drink.

"I bring good news," Dís announced abruptly. Her sudden cheerfulness implied she was truly happy, but it did not necessarily bode well for everyone else. "As you must know, I am in regular contact with Lady Vera, Lord Dáin's wife from the Iron Hills. You know, how it is… friends spilling out their souls and all… We started brainstorming and we came to the conclusion of reviving an old tradition! What say you, my _kingly_ son, will you support us?" she turned to Fíli. Fíli froze.

"Please, tell us about it."

"Gladly!" she squealed. Fíli had no idea that _Amad_ was capable of producing such a _girly_ sound, but Dís continued with clear enthusiasm. "We will organize the Spring Tour of Love this year, in Erebor. Isn't it great?"

Everyone nodded obediently, although nobody understood her meaning.

"It is a very old tradition, to help dwarves find their One. The Spring Tour means single dwarrowdams leave their homes and travel to another dwarven kingdom or settlement. They stay there for a period, meeting the locals, and if they succeed, they marry. If not, well, they continue their travels. I really wouldn't bore you with the details, but go on, ask, and I will clarify."

No one asked, not even Ori. Fíli himself wasn't even sure if he was still breathing. Not even Óin complained about his deafness – apparently he had a grasp on the topic.

"All right," Dís smiled brilliantly, ignoring the shock of her companions. "I will clarify anyway. Vera and I discussed in length the repopulation of Erebor and the overpopulation of the Iron Hills before we came up with this idea. She has already approached quite a few dwarrowdams of various standings, occupations and ages. They would happily participate in the program, and help in the restorations here. Also, I think they would like to marry, and marry well."

Finally, Dwalin found his voice. "That's an interesting idea, Dís,"

"I am so happy you agree! Thank you, Dwalin! I hope you'll find a beautiful and caring lady for yourself!" Dís exclaimed. Dwalin looked confused.

"What? Why would I…?"

"Why would you participate?" Dís artfully raised an eyebrow. "Because you can find the love of your life, naturally! Oh, it's so exciting!" She clapped her hands. When no one responded, she added with a strict expression: "I expect all of you to join in. You are the cream of Erebor's society right now, so you need to set a good example."

She returned to her food, silently smiling to herself. She looked truly excited, and no one dared to contradict her – even though no one felt any particular desire to… to… _marry_. Even thinking of the word made them shudder. Fíli himself hated the idea, personally, and hated Amad for forcing him into it. The _others_ , he understood. But him too? He behaved. Perhaps he will get a free pass if he just quietly skips those… those… whatever they should do there. What in the name of Mahal would they even do there?

Bofur regained his senses first.

"Dwarrowdams!" he exclaimed cheerfully and raised his cup. "To the dwarrowdams!"

The others cheered half-heartedly.

"Come on, lads! What could go wrong with dwarrowdams coming to entertain us?"

 _Oh, Bofur,_ Fíli sighed. He noticed Amad trembling; she did not want to burst out laughing, but her merriness alerted Fíli.

"Yeah, well, ask Thorin!" Dwalin growled. There was a time, when Balin set out to find a wife for Thorin. Obviously, he failed. Few heard the whole story, but they saw fit to share it with Fíli as a word of advice on how hard it is to find a queen. (Especially if you are Thorin.)

"Well, he isn't here!" Kíli stated the obvious.

"Well, then you can tell us!" Bofur encouraged Dwalin.

"Why isn't he here?" Fíli asked. Thorin rarely missed dinner. After the battle, he came back as a changed dwarf. He was going on and on about living a better life in the future, a hobbit style life… with comfort and food and merriment and such. He rarely missed a family gathering, and never without a word.

"They found the stream," Nori answered.

Fíli snapped up his head. "What stream?"

"The one everyone's looking for."

"Who found it?"

Nori shrugged. "Dori was called to help organize. Everyone around panicked."

Thoughts swirled in Fíli's head.

 _Panic. Dori was called. Thorin is there. I'm here, picking on eastern food_. _I'M the King!_

It was always Thorin. When someone wanted something, they asked for Thorin's support. When they needed advice about reconstruction, they asked for Thorin's opinion. When they found the stream the whole population of the mountain was looking for, they went to Thorin! And he never, not once turned these dwarves away: he went and took care of everything. Fíli might be wearing the crown, but as long as Thorin dwelled here, he wouldn't stop being their leader.

Fíli decided to do the adult thing and swallowed his anger. Thorin was a living legend, he deserved respect and love, and Fíli wasn't jealous. Never. _(Not now, anyway!)_

He leaned back in his chair, considering the new information.

"Is it dangerous? Did anyone get hurt?" he asked.

"Didn't hear," Nori shrugged.

"Well, I guess they can deal with it," he stated. "I will see what happened after dinner."

Nori eyed him curiously. Dís shot him a questioning glare too.

"Well, isn't it an exciting night?" Dís exclaimed cheerfully, raising her cup. "To the stream and to dwarrowdams!"


	2. The River and the Flower

**The River and the Flower**

Fíli, King of Erebor looked himself over in the mirror. He was wearing his royal sigils, but his clothes were fit for manual labor too, in case he had to help out.

He left dinner earlier than usual. The others didn't look like in the mood for a party, and his mind was already occupied by his next task. He had to find Thorin at the stream and see what happened and what was already done. He had to keep his temper under control. He had to look like he knew it all along.

He had to ignore the feeling of getting stabbed in the back by Thorin, again. He kept doing it, as if he hadn't noticed how his actions affected Fíli. _Although, he had to be aware!_ _Nevermind,_ Fíli thought, chiding himself for the desire to shout and rage and generally banish Thorin from the Mountain.

He would find them and stay calm and collected.

"Come, Ronen," he addressed his guard.

They left the royal quarters, and soon, Nori joined them.

"Are you going to the stream?" he asked casually.

"Yes," Fíli answered, carefully keeping his annoyance to himself. Nori was his friend, Fíli trusted him, but his curiosity could get on the young king's nerves – especially, when Nori found out about one of his failures. Like now. _Thorin should have sent for me!_

"This way." Nori pointed to the left. He seemed to know the way, which spared Fíli the embarrassment of asking for directions. He hated the uncomfortable feeling of getting left out. A king should know what was going on in his realm every time, and this was _big_! Fíli thanked Nori cautiously: he rarely helped just out of the goodness of his heart. (Many debated if he possessed a heart.) Shortly, they arrived, and Nori drifted away as soon as he noticed Dori.

"Thorin!" Fíli called out his uncle's name, who was standing in a circle of panicking dwarves. Thorin looked up, but didn't move. Fíli let out an exasperated sigh. _He_ wanted to be the one to soothe the nerves and take care of their welfare! Uncle had nothing to do with it anymore, especially not behind his back!

Fíli greeted the crowd around his uncle politely.

"May I have a word, Thorin?"

His uncle had the audacity to growl, but at least he stepped away from the dwarves.

"I've heard the stream was found."

"It was." It seemed Thorin wasn't in a sharing mood, but when Fíli prompted him to elaborate, he did. "It's right behind that corner. Fortunately, our fears about a lake are probably unfounded. However, what we found is more like a river, running slowly in a wide, shallow bed here. We can see a bend downstream, but nothing upstream. We detected no immediate danger."

Thorin's factual report helped Fíli to put aside his feelings and focus on the problem. He liked this about Thorin; he spoke plainly and acted swiftly.

"How do you know there is no immediate danger?" he inquired.

Thorin looked around, searching for the face who kept everything under control.

"There," he pointed at a dwarrowdam. She was a head taller than everyone else (probably standing on something), and directed the crowd expertly.

"And just who the hell is she?"

"I have no idea."

"What do you mean by that?"

"She is a member of the expert team. I don't have to know the name of everyone anymore!" Thorin grumbled.

Fíli took a deep breath to regain control over his emotions, and just shrugged. "Well, she must be an expert then."

"Must be," agreed Thorin. "She is managing the people mostly. Balin is going through the details with Brohn. Shall I take you to them?"

"Perhaps just show me the way, I've already distracted you long enough," he offered. He could be polite, but right now, he wanted to spend as little time with his uncle as possible.

Soon, he found Balin and the head of the expert team in a heated argument. Strangely, he found himself wishing for his uncle's presence, but Balin noticed him.

"Ah, Your Majesty!" he bowed. Fíli thought it ridiculous: they were friends, and Balin was his elder, his teacher! Still, Balin was hell bent on formalities – when it suited him. He was also very comfortable with making deals without asking for the King's opinion until the minute of the signature.

"Your Majesty!" exclaimed Brohn too, and bowed deeply. "You arrived just in time! We are starting to finalize the list of what needs to be done. There is a lot to do, a lot to do!"

"Master Brohn here thinks the whole Mountain's future depends on this project!" Balin seemed less enthused.

"Because it's a fact!" the stone expert interrupted.

"But it cannot halt the development of other areas! Erebor's population is still growing, we simply cannot spare as many dwarves as you've just requested!"

"We cannot reasonably do the job with less!"

"But who will work, if everyone is fumbling in the river? Who will heat the forges, who will guard our home? Who will feed our children and who will stand on the market selling our goods? No, Master Brohn, life cannot stop just because a river decided to appear! You have to be more convincing," Balin finished with a smirk. He loved negotiations, especially when he ended up getting his way.

"Luckily," Brohn replied cheerfully, "it's not you I have to convince. What is your opinion, Sire?" The dwarf turned theatrically toward the King.

Fíli blinked several times. Was he really asking for his opinion? He hadn't even heard about it half an hour ago!

Balin tried to sway him first. "Laddie…"

Fíli interrupted him. "A moment, please, Balin. May I see your notes?"

His eyes carefully ran over the plans and numbers. It was true; the expert offered short deadlines, but requested a lot of manpower. He suspected that Balin exaggerated about the consequences, but he had to check before agreeing to anything.

"You don't have to decide now, laddie," Balin offered.

"Of course, I won't decide now!" Fíli rolled his eyes. He hated when someone (mostly Balin) gave him advice referring to his age. He was young, not stupid! "Except… tell me, Master Brohn, is there immediate danger?"

"No, as in you have time to decide until the morning, but I did _not_ pick these short deadlines just for fun!" He made an exasperated gesture. "The snow will melt in a month, and it may cause floods. As we now have a connection to the river, it would be prudent to check where exactly the new course is taking up water."

"We managed the last snowmelt just fine!" Balin argued. "The chance of a flood is practically marginal. It's not like we have no idea what to do with a flooded Mountain!"

"Enough, Balin. Let's go over the details together in the morning; the Council and the expert team. Master Brohn, we'll need to see the list the tools and instruments you need and we want to see a detailed plan of action."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" he bowed. Fíli left him, but Balin followed.

"You gained some time, but you will have to turn him away eventually," he stated. "No matter what you believe now, it cannot be done."

"What can and cannot be done in this Mountain is not for you to decide, Balin," Fíli responded chillier than intended. Balin's kind advices were grating on his nerves sometimes, and his answer provoked the usual slightly disappointed expression from Balin. Fíli felt he could do nothing well enough in his eyes, and sometimes he wondered if he would prefer to see Thorin on the throne. "See you in the morning!"

Fíli drifted away in the crowd. A few dwarves stopped him for smalltalk, but eventually, he decided to return to his chambers. He wanted a good glass of his favorite drink and to go to sleep early, but now, he had to run over these numbers, and – oh, Mahal, how could he forget! – Amad's plans would surely give him headache!

 _How could she?_

Ronen saw him back to his study.

"Nadad!"

Kíli was waiting for him. He sat comfortably behind Fíli's desk, enjoying a glass of Fíli's finest drinks. Being king has its perks, and getting different sorts of quality drinks from around Middle Earth was one of them. Naturally, there were a few which Fíli disliked, but he appreciated foreign drinks more than foreign food. He kept his favorite brews in his study and only shared them with special guests and close friends. Kíli needed no encouragement: he helped himself freely whenever he came.

He came often, and on most occasion he had to occupy himself for a good while, since a king's duties exceeded his own. Kíli was quite familiar with Fíli's study. There was a small table next to the wall, where Fíli kept a few crystal decanters and matching tumblers to offer drinks to guests, but Kíli knew exactly where he stored their favorite spirits.

"Drink?" Kíli asked, pulling out a bottle of Best Friend from the lowest drawer, before Fíli could speak up.

"Fine," he growled, pretending to be annoyed, as if he'd just made him a favor. Kíli grinned and pushed the glass in his hand. Fíli downed it in one gulp. Kíli looked like he wanted to talk, so he refilled his glass and they sat down in the armchairs in front of the fire.

"How could Mum do this to us?" Kíli burst out, echoing Fíli's thoughts. Fíli really wanted to be a supportive brother and reassure him that everything would be fine, but Kíli's expression of horror and outrage was simply too funny. "Stop laughing!" Kíli demanded. "It's not funny at all!"

"Yes, it is!" Fíli grinned. He felt much better than previously in the evening.

"Out of everyone, I thought you would understand me!" Kíli whined.

"I understand you!"

"If you understood me, you wouldn't laugh at all!" Kíli stated belligerently. "Don't you get it? Mum wants us to marry! Me, you, the whole Company!"

Fíli only sniggered. Kíli let out an exasperated sigh: how could the graveness of this situation so completely elude his swift-minded brother?

"Yeah, just imagine Thorin!"

Kíli shook his head. He had no idea why Thorin-and-the-ladies was such a joke. "Imagine yourself, you broken-hearted oaf!" he retorted angrily.

His comment effectively ended Fíli's laughing fit.

"What've you just said?"

Kíli wriggled his eyebrows. "I said 'imagine yourself, you broken-hearted oaf'!" he repeated.

"It's not funny at all!"

"You're the one laughing," said Kíli, relieved that finally, Fíli recognized why marriage would be troublesome.

"This Spring Tour of Love nonsense is for finding your One," Fíli argued. "I have no business there." Fíli also suspected it was a clever attempt by their mother to teach manners to the Company and get them behave better, but he wouldn't say so. His manners were fine, so he felt quite safe from Amad's wrath.

"This Spring Tour of Love nonsense is to marry off as many of us as she can. And not just us; hadn't you heard her talking about the repopulation of Erebor?"

"Yeah, I did."

"But you haven't heard the rest. You and Nori had escaped just in time, but we stayed. She didn't leave us this time, and she kept talking about how exciting would be to have other ladies at our table, and how we were to set a good example… She was scary!"

Fíli sniggered again. Of course Amad was scary – a dwarrowdam had to have her tools to get her way among males, and since the reoccupation of Erebor, she was wielding them more efficiently than ever.

"Aren't you scared?" Kíli asked incredulously.

"Why would I?"

"Because you won't get out of this with your polite smiles and golden tongue. Mum says marriage will make us happy. She talks like it's a reward, not a punishment!"

"Finding your One makes you happy," Fíli asserted.

"You're the one to talk," Kíli mumbled.

"My situation is… It's not common! Or whatever. People aren't even looking for their One actively these days. Marriage brings happiness to many!"

"You talk like Mum!"

Fíli shrugged.

"She wants you to marry, too!"

"Maybe I will. I don't really care. She is welcome to arrange my match if she wants to."

"But even Mum can't arrange a match with _Her._ "

Bringing Her up was a low blow from Kíli. The brothers never kept secrets from each other, and when Fíli realized that his childhood sweetheart was seeking love elsewhere, he cried his eyes out on Kíli's shoulders. Eventually, Amad found out too, but she reassured his sons, that everything would be alright.

Fíli didn't agree. His heart shattered when Flor married that scumbag. Flor was five years his senior, but they grew up practically together. She was beautiful, with thick, shining black hair, lips red as rubies, emerald eyes and flawless pale skin. He admired both her curvy figure and her kind smile. Her angelic nature endeared her to anyone quickly, and Fíli loved how caring and generous she was. Other races often questioned the existence of dwarrowdams, but anyone who laid eyes on Flor would never question her femininity.

Fíli fell in love with her when they were very young. He had no recollection how it happened, but he remembered already thinking of protecting her when he started his weapon training. They were friends, and they grew particularly close. By the age most dwarves realized their interest in dwarrowdams, he and Flor already had quite heated kissing sessions. They went no further than that yet, but with all the wisdom of his fifty-year-old self, he thought it would last forever.

Flor was generally very kind and polite to everyone, and Fíli never noticed her easy smiles directed at others being no different from what he got. He was head over heels in love, but Flor walked the streets arm-in-arm with others, while she wanted to keep their affair in secret. Fíli respected her wishes, but he spent those years in agonizing jealousy, even though he'd never let it show.

Fíli was sixty-eight when Flor moved away without saying goodbye. In the same year, Thorin came home with an injury. He and Dwalin often joined merchant caravans as guards, but he was unable to fulfill their current contract, so Dwalin offered his place to Fíli. Fíli, seething with righteous anger, didn't hesitate – beating up bandits and orcs would sooth his nerves just fine. He had no idea where'd she gone or what happened, so he took the road, trying to forget. Dwalin was good company and the merchants paid well. He stayed with them for a while even after Thorin recovered, but eventually, he returned home – only to find that Flor moved back in town with her husband.

He tried to avoid her as much as possible, but they lived in a small settlement, where he was a leader and Flor a prominent person by her own right. When Thorin mentioned the opportunity to take back the Lonely Mountain, Fíli was his first and biggest supporter. Kíli, Dís, Dwalin, and perhaps even others knew his reasons wishing so eagerly to leave, but somehow, Thorin never learned about the affair. (Neither Balin, Fíli hoped.) He was proud of his heir's willing heart – never suspecting it to be forever broken.

It's known that finding your One is the greatest happiness a dwarf can find: you feel like you've only been a half beforehand, and you're complete now. Dwarves, who never find their One can't understand this feeling – they aren't missing what they aren't aware of. Fíli suffered greatly from the loss of Flor, and while there were no exact methods to determine who your One is, he felt sure Flor was his. He learnt to cope, but he'd spent his youth arranging his life around her, and he'd lost his anchor.

It wasn't supposed to happen – Ones usually completed each other. A mismatch rarely happened. It was a cruel twist of fate that it happened to _him,_ who would have to marry anyway to ensure the succession. Thus, he felt quite indifferent about marriage.

Kíli looked miserable, but didn't apologize.

"It's not just you, you know," he complained instead. Fíli rolled his eyes. Not that nonsense again! He slowly sipped his drink; Kíli could speak about Tauriel for _ages_.

"I miss her," Kíli said on a small voice. "Why can you have a broken heart and I can't?"

"You don't want a broken heart!"

"Of course I don't want to!" Kíli protested. "But I do have! I miss her so much it… it's killing me!"

"She can't be your One, she's an elf."

"It doesn't matter!"

"Alright," said Fíli reassuringly. They had this argument already too many times. He didn't need to convince his brother tonight.

"What?"

"It doesn't matter whether she was your One, because you're sad. Don't be sad. No one can force us to marry, not even Mother."

"It's easy for you to speak," Kíli grumbled. "You're Mum's favorite…"

"Amad has no favorites," Fíli stated confidently. "We will let her organize this event."

"I truly don't want to attend. Dwarrowdams are complicated!"

Fíli sighed: Kíli had no idea.

"So that's why you shacked up with an elf? You thought being with an elven woman is less complicated?"

"We didn't have enough time to shack up!" Kíli's protests became louder, but less angry.

"But that's what you wanted?"

"Yeah, eventually," Kíli grinned sheepishly. "And you would have let us live here, because you are a very tolerant king."

Fíli laughed.

"So how long should I tolerate you here tonight? Did you come only to drink and complain?"

"Yeah, sort of…"

Well, at least some people never change.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading, and thanks for the follows for the first chapter! I hope you all like it, but how am I to know if you won't tell? Write a few words in the box below, it's the only payment a fanfic writer gets! :)


	3. Dwarrowdams

**Dwarrowdams**

"Have you eaten anything at all today?" Dís blurted out, when she saw his son. Fíli knew he had to look bad, if even Amad talked so bluntly, ignoring even basic manners.

"Yes, I ate breakfast, and I went to lunch with the councilors."

"Because eating with them are so appetizing!" Dís threw up her hands in exasperation. "Have you slept at all?"

Fíli had no idea what his mother was doing here. Today marked the day of the Spring Equinox, as well as the arrival of at least thirty dwarrowdam from the Iron Hills. Tonight they would have a huge welcoming feast with the official announcement about this Spring Tour of Love tradition. He put his mother completely in charge, and he trusted her skills to organize the events smoothly. He hoped she came only to tell him everything was going perfectly…

…because that would be one thing that went well today.

They held their regular weekly council meeting this morning. Glóin grumbled about money, as usual. Thorin turned up late with a dozen new petitions he had promised to take care of. Balin eloquently explained that Fíli's young age put him at a disadvantage, because he lacked experience, which denied him the possibility of making quick decisions. He brought this up constantly since Fíli decided against him in the river-debacle a few weeks ago.

Speaking of the river-debacle, he was still waiting for the report the expert team had promised him. Master Brohn had convinced him about the importance of their work, but the king had to cut down from the requested number of workers. He asked them to prioritize – they didn't need a detailed map currently, but they needed to size up the possible danger. Fíli asked for a short summary by today, so he may have a chance to look it over before the feast. Unfortunately, Master Brohn, though present during the morning meeting, showed no intention of presenting their results yet.

After thoroughly inspecting the room (and approving with a nod), Dís started to talk.

"Is everything alright, Fee?"

Fíli rolled his eyes.

"Is everything alright with your project, Amad?" Dís rolled her eyes too.

"Of course, everything is fine! There were no hardheaded males to muck it up! Vera and I arranged everything. Our guests spent the night in Dale, and I sent a party of six married dwarrowdams to formally invite them to Erebor. They arrived just before lunchtime; they retired to their rooms to freshen up for the feast. We provided trays of fruits and small trinkets as welcome gifts. They have plenty of volunteers to help them settle in. We haven't heard any complaints yet, but of course, nor have they met our strapping lads," she finished, her voice dripping with irony.

"Do you need any last-minute adjustment?"

Dís looked offended. "I never need anything last-minute!"

Fíli laughed. "Of course not, Amad. I wish everyone would be so precise and organized," he mumbled.

"I do want something, though," Dís added as an afterthought. "You need to close up for today. You look terrible! How would you catch any young lady's attention looking so miserably exhausted?"

"Perhaps with that shiny golden thing on my head?"

"Stop joking, Son! Go, take a nap, I will wake you in a couple of hours."

Fíli was past the age where he would argue with his mother just for the sake of arguing, and he didn't even hide his thankfulness for the short rest, when Dís came to wake him later.

"I brought you a couple of things," Dís announced. "First, take this."

Fíli took the tray of fruits that she balanced in her left hand. He popped a few pieces of dried cranberry in his mouth.

"…and this is your report about the river."

Fíli took the thick envelope too. He made a disgruntled sound; he specifically asked Brohn to be short and concise. "And our dear Master doesn't have enough of a spine to face me himself?"

"Actually, it was _my_ cartographer who gave me the envelope. She was trying to get in here, but your guard made a good job of obeying my orders and kept her out. Apparently, our dear Master Brohn had just delegated the task to write this up to her this morning. Your reaction quite reminds me of hers," Dís explained. Fíli didn't argue with her; she was very protective of this cartographer (and anyone who travelled with them to Erebor).

"Fine. Let me just see it, then I will eat," he promised.

Despite the thickness of the envelope and the shortness of the time, he found the review enlightening and easy to follow. There were no incomprehensible polysyllabic terms, nor long, tangled sentences. She summarized the results and attached simple diagrams and maps, highlighted with different colors. Amad peeked over his shoulder.

"She is very sensible, isn't she?" she smiled. Fíli approved wholeheartedly, and put the report away.

"She's spared me a couple of hours," he said. He didn't show his true feelings: based on this short report, he was not only able to make a decision, but he had enough accurate information to defend his position against any argument. Maybe he can use some of it to his advantage, to impress his council and shut them up for a day.

"Well, then you should spend this couple of hours to make yourself presentable!"

* * *

Kasia, daughter of Mor and Aino asked for Mahal's blessing for her quest during the Sundown Prayer on the western slopes of the Lonely Mountain.

She came from a poor miner family from a small settlement in the Iron Hills, near a copper mine. Her father, Mor was a smith – he had a talent with the hammer, but his misfortunate birthplace allowed him little experience with finer metals. He made household items from copper, and his wife sold them on the markets of nearby settlements. Aino was a true daydreamer: she wanted to see the world and find adventures, but as she was born in the same misfortunate place, she'd never had a chance. Thanks to her cheerful disposition, she made do with what she'd got: she found enjoyment in travelling for selling her husband's wares. They were a happy couple: despite the unforgiving place they were born to they were content, and while they weren't exactly rich, they always had enough to get by.

Both Mor and Aino wanted more for their only child, Kasia. When Kasia was born a hundred and five years ago, her parents agreed that she was the most delicate thing they had ever seen, and that she was way too precious to live the same life they had been living. They thought mining and working copper was too rough for her and the humiliation of traipsing through human villages was out of question. Kasia became the pampered princess of their village growing up, especially since there was no other dwarrowdam near her age. She had suitors aplenty, and while she had to work from a young age, she never lacked helping hands or thoughtful gifts for her comfort. Despite the hard circumstances, she lived an easy life.

Still… She spent her childhood wishing to become a princess from the stories her parents told her. Later, she tried to imitate how she thought a princess should behave, and no one discouraged her. She thrived in the center of attention, and she saw that she could do so much better in a finer place, but leaving her home was unlikely. The general poverty of their village didn't allow them to travel to larger, richer cities – the quality of their copper wasn't good enough to compete with finer materials. She was stalling marriage for years now, but she was running out of time, so when she heard about the Spring Tour, she immediately seized the opportunity. She would travel to Erebor in the entourage of the Lady of the Iron Hills, but she would be required to provide for herself in Erebor. It suited her just fine: she only needed a way out, and she would work if she had to, but her true goal was to follow the spirit of the Spring Tour of Love and find a husband.

Not just any husband, mind you. A lot of bachelors resided in the retaken city under the Lonely Mountain, and some of them were rumored to be very, _very_ rich.

Kasia wouldn't presume to be attractive and accomplished enough to become Queen, but position mattered little to her. She wanted a comfortable life, with as much entertainment and as little hardness as possible.

She felt she had good chances, seeing the contenders. Thirty-two dwarrowdams took the road, but she could count on one hand those who could best her.

Kasia wasn't the greatest beauty among them, she had to admit that much, but she perfected the art of seducing and entertaining males. Perhaps her clothes weren't the finest or most fashionable, but she knew how to accentuate her best features. She wasn't educated or noticeably clever, but she conversed easily and knew how to feign interest.

Despite not knowing anyone before the Tour, she managed to make several friends during the journey. She mainly avoided the sharp tongue of Lady Vera, which unfortunately excluded her from the most prominent group – containing most of her rivals. Kasia supposed they would try to grab the attention of the royal family, and perhaps she would just let them fight it out. (Perhaps none of them would interest the royals.)

Her first friend, Raya, thought like her.

Raya had an exotic beauty: her warm, chestnut-brown eyes and honey-colored hair complemented her olive skin. She tried to avoid attention, but she had an undeniable radiance that just couldn't be ignored. On the first day, Kasia approached her to 'size up the enemy', but Raya was friendly and open, and she claimed she cared little for the riches a husband could provide. (Of course, as it turned out, Raya hadn't known poverty, so Kasia would remain wary of her.) She was aware that Raya could outshine everyone else, so while they were rivals, Kasia saw more benefit in befriending her.

Many of the 'dams tried to get closer to the Lady of the Iron Hills. Some of them hoped to take advantage of her friendship with the Company, others thought her approval would get them a little leverage, a few tried to come across as important by being her friend. Raya, on the other hand, minded her own business, and Kasia couldn't decide if she truly didn't care or she was just very confident. Kasia ignored the question for now, because Raya had no shortage of wannabe-friends (just like Lady Vera), yet, she was clinging to _her_ side.

After the Sundown Prayer, Kasia didn't pay any attention of Lady Dís' speech. Every dwarrowdam making the journey had already learnt of the conditions and rules, and Lady Vera gave a heart-warming speech about being each other's family, before they left the Hills.

Kasia's patience was wearing thin – she wanted to see those promised eligible (and rich) bachelors! The dwarrowdams were standing next to the stage where they gave the speeches, so she'd seen the King up close. She found him handsome and charismatic, but distant; he never even glanced toward the 'dams. She also saw him changing words with the human princess from Dale, and she found their closeness worrying.

She wanted to see the Company.

After the ceremony on the western slope finally ended, Lady Dís and Lady Vera led them to the so-called Ruby Hall.

"Oh, I'm so excited!" Zaz grabbed her hand, before the group entered the Mountain.

Raya was Kasia's first friend, but she felt more comfortable around Zaz. Zaz was a couple of years younger than her, but as a daughter of a rich merchant, she grew up surrounded by servants. She was used to getting whatever she wanted, and now, she wanted more than distant parents and paid employees. She wanted a husband to adore her and care for her (and while she hadn't spelled it out, her future husband would need to have loads of money).

Despite her spoiled and demanding personality, Kasia liked her. They shared beauty tips and told stories about old sweethearts during the trip, and Zaz loved to make witty comments about the others.

"Me too!" Kasia squealed with excitement. "So, how did you like the King?"

"Boring!" Zaz giggled. "I think I'll pass. I thought he would be taller. Or younger. Or… I don't even know," she looked away, but Kasia knew how to interpret the nervous gesture.

"He looked distant." Like Zaz's parents. Kasia wanted to divert her attention from the uncomfortable topic. "Apparently, he's very friendly with the human princess!"

Zaz looked appalled. "No way! The King and that… that ugly mean sprite?"

Kasia nodded. "I saw them flirting!"

"You wouldn't! Did you hear them too?"

"No, I didn't."

"Then perhaps you should stop spreading rumors!" said a voice that irritated them since the beginning of their journey

Erna was a killjoy. She was the oldest of the Spring Travelers, about fifty years Kasia's senior. She was a close friend of Lady Vera, and was supposed to be very intelligent – which made her the dourest dwarrowdam ever in Kasia's opinion. Erna often corrected the younger 'dams on the road under the pretense of educating them, but Kasia and Zaz thought her to be pretentious and dull. They didn't care for her company, and her butting in on their conversation annoyed them. Zaz looked like she wanted to speak up, but Kasia just turned her back on Erna, signaling Zaz not to bother.

Finally, Lady Dís led them through the entrance of the Ruby Hall. Kasia couldn't stop staring. Soft reddish light filled the hall, creating an intimate air. Real rubies sparkled on the walls, spread unevenly – probably nature's work. Two long rows of tables were placed near the walls – one could touch the gems while sitting. Delicious smell filled the hall – the platters of food were placed on a separate long table near the front. Kasia felt the urge to just sit down quickly; the sooner they can eat the better. Obviously everyone was waiting for them, and she heard a few calls of "Sit here, ladies!" and "I saved a seat for you!"

She and Zaz sat down quickly. Zaz stared less than her, being more used to gem-decorated walls, but she too needed a few moments to get her bearings. Erebor was a strange mixture of exquisite, awe-inducing beauty and downtrodden, ruined corridors, and sometimes (like now) there was no transition between the two extremes of the scale. They both introduced themselves to the dwarves around them, and soon, they chatted amiably about Erebor. They ooh!-d and aah!-d at the right places, and the dwarves were content.

Finally, the King arrived. Kasia and Zaz sat far from the dais, where the Company sat around the Royal table. Lady Dís approached them, whispering a few words. The King stood, but instead of saying the blessing, he asked his mother to do so. It frustrated Kasia; despite how dull she found the King, she found him charismatic and inspiring too. Lady Dís, on the other hand, was practical and to the point. Now, she was explaining the rules for tonight: make new acquaintances, get in the line for food and don't fight, sit wherever you want _and_ allowed to, be considerate of others while dancing. Kasia hardly waited the end of the blessing. She jumped up from her seat, striding toward the food. Zaz quickly followed her.

"We're not going back there," Zaz stated and Kasia didn't argue. They can find better company for tonight.

"We are the only 'dams here," Kasia commented, when she looked up. As good as the food smelled, she found too many unknown dishes which confused her. Perhaps Zaz would know more about this fancy stuff, but Zaz was still looking around and coming to the same conclusion.

"Yes. They are still sitting and chatting. Did we pick the wrong guys, or were we rude?"

"Both," Kasia shrugged. Those lads weren't what she was after, and she'd learned to ditch them swiftly without a second thought. "Don't fret. The Company is coming down here!"

Zaz looked up, and giggled. "Wonderful!"

Most of the Company indeed left the dais, only three of them and the King stayed; Lady Vera and Lady Dís joined them along with two dwarrowdams.

"Do you think they will sit with us?!" Zaz squealed, hiding her mouth behind her hands. Kasia's eyes rounded in surprise. She grabbed Zaz's elbow in her excitement.

"Come! Make them!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for the reviews/favorites/follows!

I hope you like the new chapter and the new characters (though they are not perfect, but then there would be no story to tell) - feel free to leave a few words in the box below!

SV


	4. The Spring Equinox

**The Spring Equinox**

Shortly before sundown, Fíli left his chambers to meet his mother and Vera, Lady of the Iron Hills for the Equinox Ceremony. According to customs, they would witness the sundown. He would give a short speech, say the blessings, and then Lady Dís and Lady Vera would officially open the festivities and announce the arrival of the Spring Travelers. The celebrations would resume in the Ruby Hall with a feast for the dwarrowdams. Everyone was free to join, while those wishing to celebrate with family could retire for the evening.

Lady Vera had keen observation skills and a sharp tongue, which made her perfectly suitable for her husband and for making everyone else uncomfortable.

"Praise Mahal! Your son wears the crown so well, Dís!" she greeted Fíli in her roundabout way. She often talked about people around her as if they weren't present.

"Good to see you too, Vera," Fíli nodded.

"Mahal, you got years older since I saw you last year! Why is your beard still so short? Aren't you trying to catch the attention of the ladies?" she glared at him.

"I hope I have more attractive qualities than just my beard."

"No need to be so snippy with me! Dís, why is he so insolent?"

"Oh, he's simply embarrassed," Dís chuckled. Fíli felt betrayed.

"He hasn't grown taller either. Why is he not tall, like the rest of Durins? And I don't like those wrinkles. He's too serious! We shouldn't have let him crowned so soon!"

 _Wrinkles?_ Fíli was used to hearing doubts about his young age and maturity, but now he had wrinkles?

"Oh, he will be fine!" Dís scoffed dismissively. "He's very handsome, and perhaps more experienced in wooing a 'dam than the rest of the lads we're trying to set up!"

 _Ha!_ If Amad thought his chances were so good, than he would get that desired free pass and skip some of these 'courting activities'. As king, he also had a chance to read Amad's plans; he knew what he was fighting, while the others would be in for a surprise.

"Well, then woo me, Your Majesty," Vera held out her hand, implying she was ready to leave. Fíli took it and placed it on his right arm in the proper manner.

"I wouldn't dream of it!" he laughed it off. "I don't want to cause any strain on our relationship with the Hills!"

Vera laughed too. Dís took her place on Fíli's other side, and he escorted them out of the Mountain.

* * *

A big crowd greeted them on the western slopes. They took their place on the tastefully decorated stage. The Company leisurely chatted right beside them – they were honored guests wherever they went these days. On the other side of the stage, he noticed a quieter group: the dwarrowdams from the Iron Hills. Mixed in the crowds, Fíli saw taller figures – Men of Dale mingled with dwarves. He looked around to find Bard, but unfortunately, he locked eyes with Dale's Princess instead. He nodded, and Sigrid immediately approached him with a smile. He stepped away from his mother and the Company; he needed no ear-witness for this conversation.

"Your Majesty," she curtseyed serenely.

"Lady Sigrid, it's good to see you," he recited the polite words with a dashing smile. "I hope your family is in good health?"

"Yes, they are fine. As is your kin, I presume?"

"Yes, they are fine as well." Fíli hesitated. Usually, at this point he would try to end the conversation; there was no love lost between the two of them. Sigrid, on the other hand, showed no intention to leave.

"I find it fascinating how your customs dictate to find every occasion for celebration, even such a simple and common event as an equinox."

"Oh, you know how we are a merry bunch," Fíli laughed softly. "We can't take back our home from a dragon every day, so we will have to make do with such lowly occasions as an equinox for throwing a party sometimes."

Sigrid's smile twitched for a moment at the mention of the dragon.

"And you like to restart long dead traditions for the sake of it, if I hear correctly? Tell me, Fíli, is it true? Dwarven women truly travelled so far from home to marry strangers?" she inquired. She was a good actress: her face implied honest curiosity mixed with awe, but Fíli felt the derisive edge of her words – and she knew perfectly well that the correct term was 'dwarrowdam'.

"Oh, yes, our dwarrowdams are wonderfully brave," he said.

"I was delighted to brave the short journey from Dale to Erebor with them; Father felt it necessary to show them our support and respect. I was happy to make new friends, and I am happy to assist any way I can. It is so wonderful that Erebor will be full of refined ladies from now on!" she said. Fíli knew her well, and the strain of her smile indicated she felt less delight and more apprehension. Dwarowdams weren't likely to include her in their circle of friends so quickly, and her journey to Erebor must have been very uncomfortable.

"I am delighted to hear that!" he flashed her a fake smile. "I regret that I have to cut short our conversation, but the sun is setting soon, and we shouldn't stray from the program. Will you join us for the feast too, or will you return to Dale after the ceremony?"

"Your Lady Mother kindly invited me, so I will join you at the feast with a small party," she answered, simpering.

Fíli hoped for a different answer, but he would take what he can; he took his leave with a swift bow. He silently vowed that he would dance with every dwarrowdam tonight, who can embarrass the sly little princess.

"Good evening, everyone," he stepped on the stage. His voice rang clearly, and soon he had the attention of every dwarf and man on the western slope. "We, dwarves, are merry folks," he started. He had prepared a speech, but Sigrid's barbs hit too close to home and he would rather turn them into something nice. "We take every occasion to celebrate, even if it is a meager equinox, which happens twice every year. One could wonder if this makes us shallow, but is joy shallow?" He smiled. "Joy is powerful; it helps us overcome the minor daily obstacles and it gives us strength to go on when life is hard. Let's find the strength tonight and share our joy with those who got less. Let's find the strength to go on and build a better future. Let's find our balance, as day and night balances each other twice every year."

Fíli cleared his throat. He was mainly improvising so far, but he had to acknowledge the special occasion.

"We do not only need to find balance in ourselves, we need to find balance with our environment, with our kith and kin, within our marriage. This year, we welcome a brave group of dwarrowdams in Erebor, who travelled here in the spirit of an ancient tradition, to find love, to find a partner for life. Welcome them with open hearts, show them respect and hospitality, show them how little it takes to find true happiness, when we have loyalty, honor and a willing heart. But first and foremost, under the setting sun of the day when day and night are equal, show our respect to our Maker and thank Mahal to let us live today and pray for tomorrow."

Fíli's timing was perfect. The sun has only just touched the horizon, and now everyone would pray silently, until the sun completely disappears. Many bowed their heads, some dwarves even kneeled, overcame with emotions.

Fíli felt his mother's hand slide into his palm, and he squeezed it reassuringly. He knew she reached out to Kíli too. This time last year, she was still on the road, but two years ago, Fíli and Kíli delayed their start to the quest to spend the equinox with her. It might have been their last time together as far as they knew back then, so they said their thanks for Mahal to reunite their family in their old-new home.

Someone started the Sunset Song, and everyone joined. _Sigrid would always see us as dim-witted merry folks, but this is everything but,_ Fíli thought. He let the people have a moment of rest while the last notes of the song resonated in the air, then he stepped forward again.

"Thank you. Now, let's say our thanks to the two dedicated dwarrowdams, who are responsible for tonight's special festivities!"

In the midst of clapping and hollering, Dís and Vera stepped forward. Their first words of thanks were lost in the crowd's cheering, but when Dís started to explain tradition and the necessary changes, everyone started listening.

"Dwarves love only once during their life; it is known. The Spring Tour of Love helps us find this very special kind of love. But what is love exactly? What makes it so special?" Dís started.

"I think everyone knows what love means, Dís," Vera interrupted.

"Thank you, for the input, Vera. We all know what love means for us. But can we love a stranger unconditionally? Can we understand and accept their definition of love? It happens too often that we misjudge our feelings, and the Spring Tour offers a safe, but exciting way to get to know new prospective partners. The purpose of the tradition is _good_ marriage, and while young dwarves fancying themselves in love tend to make hasty decisions, the Spring Tour offers guidance with its rules and the established mediator system will protect all participants. Of course, everyone is free to make new acquaintances, but you will need to sign up for the organized events."

This part was new. Old tradition only described the journey of the 'dams and their freedom to choose, but Dís and Vera felt they needed to take more control. Dwarves were rallying to Erebor from everywhere, which attracted the scum too. They had to take measures to protect the honest participants, and they could only do so under more controlled circumstances.

"How can you sign up?" Vera interrupted again.

"First, you need to fix an audition with either me or Vera. You also need to bring three witnesses to vouch for your honor; including at least one of each sex. Witnesses cannot vouch for each other. Then, we will assign a mediator for you. Mediators will be older, married dwarves and dwarrowdams; they will answer your questions, give advice and help to soothe disagreements – they will also watch out for any _irregularities_." Dís's emphasis made it clear what she meant. "Any form of aggression will bring immediate banishment from Erebor."

She let the implications sink in, and Vera took over.

"For tonight, we planned informal entertainments. We encourage you to take the opportunity and make the acquaintance of as many as you can. There will be food, drinks and music. Let's celebrate, both the sundown and our brave, adventurous dwarrowdams!"

* * *

Balin caught up to Fíli while walking to the mountain.

"Did you forget to memorize the speech we prepared for tonight?" he inquired politely, but with his usual displeased undertone.

"No."

"Then what happened? I don't mean you said anything wrong, but why did you not stick to the plans?"

"I had a moment of inspiration," Fíli explained impassively.

Balin answered with a deep, desperate sigh. "Laddie, you can't do public things on a whim anymore!"

"When could I ever?" Fíli mumbled, and tried to get rid of the older dwarf.

"Perhaps we should consider appointing a Master of Ceremonies," Balin suggested, keeping up with the annoyed king. "He can take care of these traditional holidays, and you shouldn't bother with giving these speeches. It would also be more proper if we separated ruling from giving blessings; a king should take care of state matters, while a Master of Ceremonies would pray to Mahal."

Fíli wanted to roll his eyes. He actually liked giving these short speeches, and saying the blessings that traditionally the head of the family, or the host of the gathering said. Still, this time, he had to agree with Balin. It would be more proper if they separated kingly business from the business of the Maker.

"Alright. We can discuss it next week, when the excitement for this Spring Tour fades a little. Try to think about possible candidates, if you have time."

Balin nodded, pleased that they agreed so quickly. He left before Fíli could rescind his approval, and Fíli signed to his guard to take a longer, but hidden route to avoid anyone else.

"Do you want to take a wife, Ronen?" he asked his guard.

"I'm not sure, Sire," he answered. Probably he had overheard his and Kíli's opinion, and didn't want to disagree.

"Why not?" Fíli asked. Ronen was reliable and observant, but too nervous around the royal family. Fíli kept telling him that he too was just a lad from Ered Luin, but he couldn't break through Ronen's extreme politeness. Sometimes, Fíli peppered him with questions about his life before, or about how he spent his free time, but Ronen often gave evasive answers. He didn't dare to disagree with the King, which disturbed Fíli both on a personal and a professional level.

"I'm not sure marriage would be convenient in my position."

"Marriage is never convenient. Or it always is, according to some," Fíli mused. "Anyway, your position has nothing to do with your yet unmarried state."

Ronen elected to stay silent. Fíli wanted to get a more definite answer out of him, but they reached the side door, and he reminded himself that Ronen will have to participate on these events regardless his intentions.

* * *

His mother fretted unnecessarily over his late arrival. Apparently, everyone was waiting for him. Keeping Balin's words in mind, he suggested that Amad should say the blessings. Amad was touched by this gesture, and while she quickly got rid of the Company, she allowed Fíli to take his meal at his usual place.

"You should set a good example!" She sent them to mingle with a pointed glare. Fíli tried to melt into the background and staying at the table unnoticed, but Kíli started to complain.

"But Fee has to come, too!"

Kíli was miserable since the announcement of the Spring Tour, complaining about everything to everyone. Since his affair with Tauriel was supposed to be a secret, Kíli only mentioned her to his brother, driving him crazy.

"What Fíli does or doesn't have to do is none of your business!" Amad countered. Kíli pouted, but there was no room for argument.

"May I stay?" Fíli asked Amad, when Kíli was out of earshot. Amad frowned. "I will go mingle, but I would really appreciate a peaceful dinner."

Amad relented.

He was sitting at his usual place in his comfortable chair, while the others had to fight their way to the food – despite Amad's plea to avoid jostling. His eyes found Sigrid, who sat at a table with her entourage, sulking and looking completely out of place. He noticed a group of dwarrowdams chatting loudly over the heads of the dwarves surrounding them. The Company was sticking together, but two young 'dams joined them. Some of his friends looked uninterested, but Bofur, Nori and surprisingly Thorin immediately started up the conversation. Kíli hid pathetically behind Dwalin's back, who was looking around, probably trying to find someone classier. These two dams looked ready to throw themselves into anyone's arms for a compliment or two.

Fíli looked at the others at his table. Amad and Vera watched the happenings like hawks. Glóin and his wife cared little for the crowd, but Bombur, his wife and Bifur had a lively conversation. They made derogatory comments about Bofur's chances, and Bifur declared his fifty-year-old son would do better than his cousin. (Of course, he would be too young to find a partner, but considering that Bifur had another son and a daughter settled comfortably, he was probably right.) Bombur tried to bring up the topic of _his_ children, but both his wife and Bifur ignored it, making comments about others' chances. Bombur's eldest daughter, Kara was among the hopeful crowd, but her father's overbearing nature scared away every suitor so far.

Fíli noticed Sigrid standing up abruptly. He couldn't make out the words, but a dwarrowdam somehow offended the princess. Fíli committed her face to memory, determined to honor her with a dance. She was easy on the eye with dark brown hair and a light figure. _Having similar colors to Flor, but looking sharper._ He followed her with his eyes: she sat with a larger group of dwarrowdams, and laughed off the incident.

The noises of eating quietened down. Fíli witnessed many a scene where dwarrowdams urgently left their seats to get away from their table because of the offending behavior of their neighbors. It suddenly occurred to him that Amad (as always) planned farther than she admitted: marriage wouldn't be a punishment, as Kee thought, neither would it be the road to easy happiness, as Bofur wanted to believe. No, Amad had had enough of the 'offending maleness' she had to face, and called in reinforcements.

Amad gave a sign to the musicians to start. At first, a merry bunch of drunken dwarves started singing and dancing, but the dwarrowdams gave them a wide berth. A few dwarves managed to secure a partner to dance, and it was time for him to leave the table and mingle. The dark haired dwarrowdam was still sitting at the table with her friends. Fíli shook away his momentary anxiety, and introduced himself.

"Good evening ladies."

He had their attention. He was good at small talk. They gave him appreciative looks, and while probably some of them felt more attraction to his crown than to him, he couldn't shake away his satisfaction. He still had it. He made sure to remember all of their names. Malin, Alin, Seenia, Val, Lena, and his dark-haired would-be dance partner, Liv.

"I've seen your altercation with the Princess of Dale," Fíli turned to Liv, when everyone reassured him that they found everything to their liking so far. "I hope nothing serious happened."

"Oh, 'twas nothing, really," she dismissed his worries with a smile. "I think our company makes her uncomfortable. She's not the only one."

Fíli smiled widely. He liked this 'dam. "I hope a dance would make you feel more welcomed then?"

"Surely, Your Majesty." She stood up with grace and took his hand.

"Fíli, please. I think these formalities would only hinder the success of your journey."

"Alright, Fíli. Does it mean you're in contention, too?" Her eyes sparkled up with interest.

"Of course. This project means much to Amad, and I want to set a good example," he answered. He didn't want to make the impression that he was actively looking for love.

"So you're only supporting your mother?" she asked, slightly disappointed. Fíli shrugged. They reached the dancing area, and took their place among the couples. "Don't you want to find love?"

"I would like to, one day," he admitted as much, "but I don't think love comes when we say so. I would be happy to find love this year, but I don't want to make empty promises."

"I'm sure you're very busy, too," she offered him a way out. He asked about her profession (she was an architect, which impressed him), her life in the Hills, and she asked about the reconstruction works in Erebor and if he knew anyone who would sign up for the 'courting events'. Fíli told her about the Company's participation and she told him what she knew about these events. Apparently, the ladies came more prepared than the guys would be. After a pleasant and informative half hour, he asked her if he should ask her friends to dance.

"Oh, certainly not!"

Her appalled outburst surprised him.

"Why?"

"Look, Fíli, I think we've established that we aren't here for the same reasons, but I like you and I think it's mutual." She looked him in the eye and continued seriously. "I give you this advice as a friend: don't do anything out of friendliness. Stick to basic manners. Some of these girls would go very, very far to get you into wedlock, so be careful."

"I appreciate the warning, but I've expected as much," he said coolly. Perhaps she realized that her warning could come off as undermining the competition, because she started excusing herself.

"You're one very brave dwarf to support your mother in this," she smiled. "Thank you for the dance and the conversation."

In the end, Fíli heeded her advice and ignored those 'dams for the rest of the night. Fortunately, Sigrid seemed to be very prone to accidents tonight, and Fíli danced with four different dwarrowdams after their altercation with the spiteful woman. One of them, he swept away directly from under the seething princess' nose – she was one of the pair who first approached the Company, and she was adorably tipsy. Her friend was in a similar state, and she entertained a shamelessly drunk Kíli currently. Fíli had half a mind to get his brother out of their clutches, but it was late, and he had enough fun tonight. He led Kasia to Kíli too, and went to bed.

He dreamed of Flor and the old, simple days in Ered Luin.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, it seems Fíli isn't very enthusiastic yet, and it Kasia misread some things in the last chapter. What do you think? Leave me a few words :)


	5. Kíli's Lady Friend

**Kíli's Lady Friend**

The first event of the Spring Tour took place three days after the ladies' arrival. Fíli had expertly avoided them in the meantime, but others weren't so keen (or lucky) to achieve this. Thus, the ladies had much to discuss.

The dwarrowdams were lodged together on a corridor near the royal wing. Erebor offered the best hospitality available in a recently dragon-riddled mountain: their chambers were small, but clean, and each dwarrowdam had their own place. They also had shared sitting rooms, where some of them set up a corner to prepare for the evening. Liv, Raya, Kasia, Zaz, Alin, Malin and Lena were discussing what they'd learned so far while choosing attires and braiding hair.

Val, daughter of Doni and Lav barged into their common room. She'd applied for a position in the Guard, and she'd just been to her tryout.

"So what are we supposed to do tonight?" she asked.

Everyone turned and stared at her until she felt out of place. Actually, she _was_ out of place: she didn't much care about a husband, but the Spring Tour happened to coincide with her planned relocation to Erebor, and a free journey sounded too good to pass up. It's _not_ compulsory to find a husband, is it?

"To meet prospective partners, get a good look at them, ask a few questions to find common ground and work out some sort of a priority list."

Liv's words caused a moment of silence.

"You make it awfully dull and simple! Where's the romance? Where are the feelings?" Kasia protested, coming over her shock. "Where's the seduction?" she added, batting her eyelashes. Zaz and Raya giggled.

"I don't think Val is interested in the fine art of seduction," Liv commented.

"Damn right!" Val agreed.

Kasia flinched, and turned back to Raya's glinting tresses. She and Zaz were trying to create the most flattering hairdo, despite Raya's protests. She didn't want to overdo her attire, but it was obvious for every 'dam in the room that Raya would outshine everyone even in the poorest dress and with unbraided hair. "Should we make a crown out of it?" Kasia suggested, and they started on it.

"I really don't see why it's necessary," Raya protested weakly. The last thing she wanted was to have them think she has only eyes for the King!

Not that the King would be a bad choice for any dwarrowdam, but they didn't even see him since the welcome feast.

They all met with the other members of the Company. Bofur's flirty advances made a lot of girl flustered and giggling, but Thorin's polite compliments made him very popular too. Unfortunately, the youngest Durin couldn't gain their full sympathy: after getting way too drunk on the feast, he made a spectacle of himself dancing on the tables, singing rude songs about barmaids, and had to be forcibly removed from the Hall. (Kasia wisely kept silent about what, or more exactly, _who_ prompted him to do so. Kíli was now considered immature, and she didn't care to enlighten them about the minutes the two spent together in a dark alcove, daring each other to do… khm… _things_.)

Next to Raya, Alin – a young, petite dwarrowdam with strawberry blond curls – sat, letting her older sister, Malin, braid her hair. When they were done with Raya, Kasia offered to help them – they were both very nice to everyone, especially Alin, but they knew little about dressing up. Malin claimed her main goal was to ensure that her pretty little sister finds a good husband, but if she can't find one for herself, how can she help? Kasia felt charitable tonight – her success on the welcome feast assured her that she could get practically anyone.

"Would you like some help with your hair, Malin?"

"Why, that's very kind of you!"

When Malin finished Alin's hair, Alin stood and she took her place.

"Something simple would do, I think," Malin started to explain, but Kasia interrupted.

"I think I have an idea. You have a lot of hair, you shouldn't hide it behind plain plaits, you know!"

Malin argued a little, but Kasia kept braiding steadily, and Malin stopped speaking.

"I think you look pretty!" Alin commented, and turned to Kasia. "You should teach me to do it for her for next time!"

"I can't teach it. I always do it differently. Listen to your instincts, as my Momma says," she mumbled, inspecting her creation. Malin seemed pleased for a moment, but she sighed dismissively.

"It's not why I'm here, but thank you. It's really pretty."

In the meantime, Val barged in and out four times already. It seemed she needed a lot of guidance in preparing to a formal evening. Fortunately, Liv patiently instructed her.

Val loudly complained. "I'm here for war!" She also added something on a foreign language, as usual. Kasia heard Alin giggle quietly after the latest outburst, and they shared a look.

"I hope she gets whatever she's after," Alin said.

"I'm sure," Kasia smirked. "And what are you after? Do you have your eyes on anyone yet?"

Alin's pale face turned bright red in a scarily short time.

"I take it you do," Kasia concluded.

"Perhaps. And you?"

"Oh, I like to keep my options open," Kasia winked. "You shouldn't marry the first guy you kiss!"

"Oh, stop this!" Malin cried appalled. "She shouldn't go around kissing just anybody!"

Kasia rolled her eyes, and returned to Zaz. _What a close-minded simpleton!_ she thought. Alin would made good friend, if only she could ditch that crazy sister of hers!

"Liv!" Val barged back in. "Are you sure I should wear a dress?"

"Yes, dear, it would be the best." Liv answered, her patience finally wearing thin.

"What if I don't have one?"

Liv softly tugged on her beard. "Let me look at that package of yours!"

A little while later, Liv returned, and asked for their attention. Val stood behind her, looking chastised.

"Could anyone perhaps lend a dress to Val?" she asked. She looked a mite put out, but her voice rang clear of it. Val grinned behind her. "She didn't bring but a change of clothes."

* * *

"…and then I said, why try dancing, when we can go kissing, and she said we should do it outside!"

Kíli paused shortly to drink and continued.

"I tell you, there are some great lasses here now! Brave and adventurous! I just took her hand and led her out and we found the first dark corner, and I said she wouldn't dare to stay with me here, but she did, and said that I dare not sit closer, and I said she dare not to touch me, and she touched my chest, and she said I dare not pull her closer, and I said she wouldn't dare to kiss me! She laughed, and she said she hoped I'd ask, because she wouldn't, but she could lead me in circles for a good while. So there we were, kissing, and getting real close," here, he wriggled his eyebrows for emphasis, "because she's that 'touchy type', she said, and I've no idea how long we were there, but in the end, she said I wouldn't dare to dance on the table and sing a bawdy song in front of the ladies, and… the rest is history!"

"No, Kíli, the rest is not history, it's the hottest gossip of Erebor nowadays."

"Only the dancing and singing!" Kíli hold up a hand in protection. "I'm discreet with the kissing."

"You should be discreet with the singing and dancing too," Fíli reprimanded him half-heartedly. His little brother was having fun despite his broken heart, who was he to destroy it?

"You know, all those kissing and touching really clouds one's mind."

 _Oh, it does_ , Fíli knew that well. He turned back to his favorite drink, called the Best Friend. It was taunting him with its lush dark brown color and high percentage of alcohol. He poured another shot for himself, but didn't offer more to Kíli. He tossed it back quickly. The way the liquid burnt in his throat caused a sobering feeling, but soon enough, he would feel rejuvenated and almost interested in these ladies. He was sure the 'dams had _their_ way of preparing for tonight – this was _his_ way.

Kíli still looked around dreamily, and Fíli hoped he wasn't picturing himself and that 'dam in this room in a sexual situation. He had enough fantasies of his own here.

"So, what time should we get there?"

"Do I look like I remember?" Kíli replied. His horrified expression suggested that he still had his reservations about this whole Spring-and-love business. "Because I'm not. Don't you?"

Fíli looked at him with feigned worry.

Kíli became truly frightened. "Bollocks! Mum would kill us if we're late tonight!"

Of the two of them, Fíli was the punctual one. The reliable one, too. "Fortunately, my guard will alert us in time. There are perks to being king, like not having to worry about memorizing all these dates and places," Fíli grinned, and ducked when Kíli threw a pillow at him.

* * *

Fíli had to admit that Amad knew how to reach out to people. The evening was all about first impressions. At first, everyone got a pack of cards and a wrapped piece of charcoal for drawing. Amad set up tables with games and tasks that you had to complete in pre-selected groups. By the end of the evening, you would interact with everyone. As for the cards, you give them to those you would like to get to know better. You should draw something on it which reminds you of the person you give it to. They can draw a symbol of you on the back, and keep it. They can offer one of their cards if they are so inclined, but it's not compulsory. This system worked for most – except for those _not interested_.

He had already collected a huge pile of cards, and he had given out just as many, out of politeness, but it was a pain. Fíli could've drawn _anything_ about Flor. The flow of her hair looked like a waterfall, her laugh sounded like small, cheerful bells, and her touch was soft as a feather. _She feels like a stab in the back now._

These dwarrowdams though…

Naturally, everyone was interested in him, but for the life of him, no one struck his fancy. He and Liv exchanged a few polite words, but an exuberant smith swept her away. He chatted a bit with Bombur's surly daughter, Kara, who expressed similar regret to be here, because everyone kept her at arm's length in fear of her father.

"Since when is he so fearsome?" Fíli snorted.

"Since I was born," she rolled her eyes.

"Well, if you're bored, watch Kíli or Thorin; one of them is bound to make a mistake!"

* * *

Tonight, it was Kíli's turn again. He managed so well for most of the night, but eventually, he thought he recognized his partner from the feast. Fíli had to admit, the two 'dams looked alike, but Kasia was older, livelier and more curvaceous. Kíli didn't notice.

"Hello, sweetheart," Kíli addressed her. A lesser dwarf would cower from the dwarrowdam's glare, but Kíli took it as some sort of twisted foreplay, or who knows… "I've found you."

Perhaps the dumbfounded look on her face should've tipped him off…

"Aye, not hard to do! Ain't hide and seek here, more like catch me if you can!" she replied, her voice noticeably lacking any enthusiasm.

"I like the sound of it," Kíli said, bowing slightly, and leaving the annoyed dwarrowdam alone.

A couple of minutes later, Kíli approached her again, from behind, grabbing her hand and pulling her closer.

"I caught you!" he said.

Instead of the awaited flirty giggle, he earned a punch in the face.

"Ow! What's this for?" he shouted, clutching his nose, while the dwarrowdam said something on a foreign language. It sounded Elvish to Fíli.

Two mediators immediately appeared to smooth the situation, but the pair made quite a ruckus – everyone in the room heard the shouting. The mediators tried to sooth them, but none of them would let it go:

"What were you thinking, grabbing me so? I don't even know you!"

"You witless, coy creature, you said so!"

"No way I said so!"

"What did you hit me for so hard?"

"Wasn't nothing you didn't deserve!"

"You deserve to be kicked off! No aggression here, remember?"

"Grabbing my hand was aggression then!"

"Quiet!" Lady Dís arrived. She swiftly directed the raging pair to a nearby room, and in a short while, the two youngsters returned in a considerably calmer, but very embarrassed state.

Fíli's eyes found Kasia mingling in the room. She didn't look fazed by the events at all. He stalked over to her.

"Would you mind introducing yourself to my brother?" he asked her.

Kasia turned. She gave Kíli an appreciative look, but shook her head.

"Nah, I'll pass."

"Come on, it'll be fun!"

Kasia shrugged and changed the topic. "Are you collecting a lot of cards? My friend and I made a bet on who would collect the most cards," she explained. "You should come over at the end of the night to count them."

"I'm sure there are other, more interesting dwarves here," Fíli said, but the cards in his pocket weighed a lot.

"Sure, but you're still a king," Kasia shrugged. "By the way, shall I give you mine?"

"If you're interested," Fíli answered with a self-assured smirk.

"You wish," Kasia replied, shaking her head, and definitely not giving her card away.

"You're sure you're not going over to my brother? He's not as bad as he looks."

"He looks quite alright to me," Kasia said. "And it'll be more fun if I let him figure it out."

* * *

 **A/N:** It seems not every dwarrowdam is here for the same reasons - poor Kíli cannot seem to notice! I hope you like the story so far; write me a few words about it in the box below! _SV_


	6. Promising Starts

**Promising Starts**

"Oh, Vera, I cannot find words to describe how delightful it is to get rid of them for a little while!" Dís sighed.

They were lounging in Dís' sitting room, sipping Dorwinion wine and enjoying the quiet moments. They spent the last week shepherding the wannabe-lovebirds: questioning them, answering their questions, showing them around, fine-tuning the schedule of the Spring Tour, and reviewing what they've seen so far.

"I've got an invitation from Sigrid for the Flower Festival in four weeks," Dís announced.

"That girl is so underrated!" nodded Vera. Even though Sigrid had trouble getting on with the dwarrowdams, Dís found a common ground with her. The two women started to work together only for the peace between their realms, but soon, it turned into genuine friendship.

"She's smart," agreed Dís. "A little nudge in the right direction, and she's making wonders!"

"So what is this Flower Festival?" Vera asked.

"Just a made up tradition. She's creative; she has a whole series of events lined up for the year. She's implying that they are renewals of old traditions from Dale and Laketown, but she's creating a distinctive and unique identity for Dale."

"So she's a good ally."

"The best!"

Dís knew that inviting the dwarrowdams to Erebor was only the first step; if they wanted to settle down here, they would need to integrate into Erebor's society, and the responsibility of guiding them fell to Dís. They came from very different backgrounds, and while some of them grew up around trade caravans, others belonged to very traditional families, who hid their dwarrowdams under the mountains to guard them from harm. However, in the rebuilding Lonely Mountain, one needed to live by more liberal standards, especially with the closeness of Dale. Dale and Erebor had a good relationship, and these 'dams needed to learn how to act around Men, or at least tolerate them.

An excursion to Dale during the Flower Festival would be beneficial for both her goals with the Spring Travelers and Princess Sigrid's aim to attract a large audience from different realms. She tried to make it sound like a grandiose event, inviting guests from as far as Gondor, and the presence of the dwarves of Erebor would lend some gravity to her claims.

"Maybe you can gather a group from the Iron Hills too?" Dís asked Vera.

"Maybe…" she mused. "Maybe we should invite the families of our dwarrowdams – you know, to show them that they are safe and happy."

"Let's think about it," Dís groaned. "I'm not sure I can deal with all their family members too. These 'dams, they are all so intense!" Dís complained. "I've never been so enthusiastic about marrying. I wedded and bedded the first fellow who was willing to take me from under my father's and brother's scrutiny. No fancy dreams about nice dresses and romantic gestures! I don't know what I was thinking, inviting them all here! How should I understand them?"

"Your life has been a series of tragedies, while they've grown up in peace and comfort. Have patience, Dís," Vera chided her.

"I don't know what I was thinking!" she repeated, and shook her head, disbelieving. "I released dozens of dwarrowdams on Erebor, and now, instead of working, everyone is dizzy with notions of love, and my son will kick me out if I can't handle them!"

Vera was smirking knowingly.

"And that's why I'm staying here. You'll get your reinforcements, don't you worry! It's a good thing they're so excited. They'll calm down when they realize what they're in for! Just imagine: the guys start to relax, and the girls will try to run in horror – that's why we needed the contracts."

"At least our lads made some effort. I thought they would protest harder," Dís commented, despairing some more. "I'm concerned about it, is it wrong that I'm concerned about it?"

Vera laughed. "No, Dís, but you shouldn't worry. They are trying to make a good impression. That's a promising start."

"Bofur went and took a bath. A real bath. Without me ordering him!"

"See? Already an improvement!"

"Ori cleaned his room. Kíli's wearing the Durin braids. And even Nori stopped picking his nails in public. Apart from Kíli having those incidents…"

"Incidents, right…"

"Yes, _incidents,_ nothing scandalous happened. They are so polite! They eat cleanly, they open doors for the 'dams, they talk about nice things instead of obscenely insulting each other over sloshing ale."

"Yes, Dís, that's how they're supposed to behave around us."

"What's wrong with me then?" Dís complained.

She'd spent her whole life among males. Her mother died when the dragon came, and her grandmothers were dead long before that. She grew into the role of the matriarch of the family eventually. Her marriage brought little change: only one more dwarf to take care of. Her brother and their cousins still came to her for a warm meal, a clean bed and a healing hand. She was always there to soothe their pain, ease their worries, and chase away the exhaustion during the days they spent in her home between travels. They always brought money and dried food and small, useful gifts. After her husband died and she had to raise two dwarflings alone, Thorin and their cousins helped training and teaching them and they fixed up her home when needed. At the same time, her home was the respite between demanding jobs, the sanctuary in a cruel world – the only place where they could relax.

And they relaxed. Oh, how efficiently they relaxed!

She always felt like a natural disaster swept though her home after they left. They were too tired to take off their shoes at the door (or at all), too busy to collect their clothes to one pile when they asked her to do the laundry, too merry to stop the foodfight, and what's the need for manners between friends? Fíli and Kíli could swear up a storm at a disturbingly young age, and they made the most creative derogatory comments just about anything and anyone. (Oh, they learned this good Durin trait very soon, and in heavy doses!)

Dís only recognized the situation as problematic when Glóin married a wonderfully headstrong dwarrowdam, Tiril. Tiril had her very determined picture about the happiness of her home, and tolerated no disturbance in it. She and Dís spent much time together, especially during Tiril's pregnancy. Between sharing town gossip, they talked about their husbands, their children, their homes. They also discussed in length the members of their family. Tiril opened her eyes that she shouldn't give them so much freedom.

 _"_ _You're making them a favor. What do you get in exchange?"_

 _Disrespect, swearing dwarflings and exponentially more work._

Dís started to curb their roughness, but with limited success. They pretended to behave, but hid their muddy trails under a rug, cleaned their bowls with the bread and put them back to the cupboard still smeared with grease, and laughed at her behind her back.

Some of them never learned: when she arrived at Erebor last spring, she found them sleeping on their bedrolls, just like on the road – waiting for her to make their bed.

"They take you for granted," Vera answered the question. Dís hated it. She didn't want to be so easily available, but she couldn't find the strictness or selfishness in her heart that allowed Tiril to turn them away.

"I can't do anything about it," Dís despaired. She hoped the Spring Tour will help her some. She hoped it will help the lads; not only her lads, but the whole _population_ of Erebor. She hoped these dwarrowdams would be stronger than her in this regard.

"That's why we're here!"

They were sipping their wine silently. Vera looked like she wanted to discuss more of the topic – she found Dís' stories about the lads' antics extremely funny –, but Dís' mind was preoccupied.

"I worry for Fíli," Dís spoke finally, her voice barely audible.

"He'll be fine. He's a good king, and a clever boy," Vera reassured her immediately, but something else grieved the mother's heart.

" _I_ made him sign up for the lady-hunting," Dís said, searching for Vera's eyes. "I fear I made a mistake."

"Kings need wives too, perhaps more than anyone. Let him marry someone of his own choosing; acting like a regular lad for a while will do him good! There's nothing wrong with that boy, but don't tell him I said that! He's almost too perfect!"

"Yeah," Dís sighed. "He's a good boy. He's not like the others. He doesn't actually need someone to keep him in line."

"He had to grow up quickly." While all these cousins were in and out of Dís' life, Fíli had to fill the role of the man of the house between the visits; Vera knew that.

Dís stared at her glass and slowly swirled around her wine.

"I don't think he's interested."

Vera sputtered. "Excuse me?!"

Dís looked up and took in the visible shock on her friend's face. She shook her head.

"He isn't interested in choosing a wife. He says… he says…" She was struggling to give her son's secret away, but she wanted a solution, and so far Vera proved herself as an excellent partner in crime. "He had an affair and he thinks she was her One."

Vera took a deep breath. Her neutral face kept Dís in suspense.

"What's the problem then? Did she die?"

"No, she married someone else."

If the two ladies heard Vera's next words from someone else's mouth, they would surely reprimand them, but right now, the occasion required some levity.

"See now?"

"Stupid boy!" Vera spat. "So, what in Mahal's name happened? Why would she marry someone else? How could he let her go?"

"See, now, I don't know the details. They kept it secret, I don't even know for how long. I've only heard about it when Fee came home after a year on the road, and he found her living in our town with her new husband."

"He left for a year?" Vera's tone suggested a great amount of stupidity on Fíli's part.

"Yes. After she left town without a word to my son, apparently. That's why he went with Dwalin, and she came back with a husband in the meantime. Now, if you ask me," Vera tried to interrupt again, but Dís wouldn't allow. "The girl is a snake. I still don't know much about their relationship, but it seems she was leading him on. Had I known, I could have put a stop to it fairly early, because I've always seen her as she was: an unrepentant, cold-hearted flirt."

"Hm." Vera refilled her glass. Dís quickly gulped down her wine, and asked for a refill too. "Do you think she is his One?"

Dís snorted. "You know how it works! There is a chance that you find your perfect match, but even then, you still have some work to mold the two lives into One. For a few, it's easy, others struggle more. There is no magical moment when you see them and realize you were waiting for Him or Her in your whole existence – this magical moment comes years later, when you notice that you're happy. Fee isn't happy, but he believes the legends are true."

"Everyone believes the legends are true," Vera added. "Everyone is looking for that moment, and if you tell them you have to work possibly for _years_ to achieve it, then who's going to bother?"

Dís couldn't agree more.

"Let him get to this conclusion in his own pace, Dís," Vera decided. "Maybe he meets someone interesting this year, but if he's not ready, there is no hurry. He's what? Eighty-four? You were ten years his senior when you married and I wasn't younger either."

"Fine," Dís smiled cynically. "Then please, explain Kíli why he has to go wife-hunting when his older brother is young enough to get away."

"Now, _that_ son of yours could use someone to keep him in line!" Vera said, accusingly. "I really hope he catches the eye of someone wiser than him! I brought some young 'dams, but I'm not sure I want to see what Kíli will do with someone of his age!"

Dís couldn't help her bursting laughter imagining his younger son with some of the more exuberant dwarrowdams.

* * *

"Fíli, King of Erebor!" The call was followed by the noise of heavy chairs scraping on the floor.

Fíli strode into the Council Room, two guards in tow. He stopped at the head of the large, round table, and looked around.

"Take a seat," he said solemnly. Even though most of the dwarves present were his friends from the Company or leaders of the guilds – many of whom he knew well from Ered Luin –, he refrained from making jokes or being overly familiar. Balin and Thorin drilled into him that in this room, he was their King, not their friend.

Which meant they weren't his friends either. Sometimes being king was awfully lonely.

When everybody sat down, the newly appointed Master of Ceremonies went over the topics of the meeting. Fíli liked his lively intonation – he was a good choice for the role, eager and capable. What's even better, Balin approved, so he wasn't as insufferable lately as usual.

Now, on the other hand…

"Let's discuss the plans with the river," Balin spoke up. "Are we prepared for a possible flood?"

"Yes," said Brohn, leader of the expert team and Teles, leader of the builder's guild. Brohn sounded offended: Balin openly questioned his competence several times. Teles sounded simply tired: his duty was to oversee the reconstructions as a whole, and flood-preparedness was a minor project with troublesome dwarves.

"Very well. Then we shall be safe," Balin concluded theatrically, and sat back.

"What's next?" Glóin asked. Fíli could always count on him to hurry up the discussions. "Plumbing, public bath, mines, or forges?"

Of course, everyone had an opinion, and had to share it at the same time. Fíli sat silently, trying to get the gist of the argument, but he'd already learned that he should only intervene if fists start flying. He preferred avoiding unnecessary insults directed at him. Thorin was staying out of the debate too, and Fíli felt as if he was observing how he handled the situation. He grew more and more tense every time his eyes locked with Thorin's. Fíli wondered what Thorin would do; whether he should've already broken up the discussion; if Thorin disapproved… but Thorin's face revealed nothing.

"Silence!" he snapped, finally. He let the dwarves sit down and gather their bearings. When they were all staring at him expectantly, he suddenly became insecure. _Was it too early to interrupt?_ "Did you agree on anything?"

He hoped so.

"The forges and mines are working fine now," said Ori, looking at his notes. "Plumbing should come first… but there are disagreements about the details."

 _Of course._

Fíli dreaded these disagreements: everyone in this room had seen the general map of the river and everyone was aware of the problems the lack of water in certain parts of Erebor caused.

Erebor had a fine plumbing system, carved cleverly into the stone, so most of it stayed intact during the reign of the dragon. The only problem so far was the lack of water, and now, they had to carve new pipes to reach the river.

"We should expand the plumbing on the lower levels," stated Dori, always the advocate of the poor. A lot of families lived there in close quarters: miners, smiths, merchants, guards and younger dwarves mostly. Of course, the majority of the work would be here, as the river found a completely different course, while on the higher levels, it changed little.

"We should do what's easier first!" countered Glóin, always thinking about his own family's comfort. Everyone in this room lived on higher levels.

Fíli glanced at Thorin. He was looking on with interest, but as usual, wouldn't say a word. Fíli always wondered why he acted so: was Thorin trusting him so much, or was he judging him? He never gave any clue.

"What about a public bath?" Fíli asked.

There was some grumbling about preferring the comfort of their own home, but when Fíli stood and unfolded a big map of Erebor, the attention snapped at him.

"Public baths are very popular among dwarves," Fíli started, "and Erebor currently lacks one." The old one was crushed. "We can build one right here," he pointed at a cave. Everyone leaned over the map, even Thorin. "This is a big, currently unused and unapproachable marble cave. The river flows here," he drew a line with his finger, and stopped, circling another cave, "but this cave is totally flooded, thus not fit for use. We can put up the baths in this marble cave: it looks easy to channel the water here, and it would take up enough water to dry up the flooded cave below. I think it's a quick and feasible construction, and it would be very popular. Dwarves on any level would need to pull up less water from the waterholes for home use, and perhaps we can set up another infirmary nearby."

The councilors made different sounds of agreement. Thorin seemed lost in thought. Fíli continued.

"Until the baths are built, we need to plan the expansion of the plumbing system, of course. But!" He held his breath. Thanks to Amad's cartographer, he had a plan no one else thought of. "Water is able to transport heavy objects. Water is a source of energy. Water is power."

He stood up straight, and took in the scene before him. Everyone was watching him with rapt attention. Everyone in this room loved power.

"There are unused caves and corridors and a lot of natural or dragon-made obstacle; we can regulate the river the way we want to. We can use its power however we see fit. Think, for example, if only we can operate the lifts in the mines by the power of the river instead of the strength of our arms!"

Fíli heard supportive humming. He managed to capture his audience.

"Damn, yes!" Glóin exclaimed. It seemed he found the promise of riches preferable to his personal comfort, after all.

"Yes!"

"Sounds good!"

"Let's do it!" joined in the others. Even Teles looked excited.

Only Brohn wrinkled his forehead, anticipating a lot of new responsibility. "Do we really have the knowledge and the resources for this?"

Fíli felt frustrated.

"You tell me, Master Brohn, aren't you the expert?"

Brohn wisely kept his answer to himself.

The council accepted to first build the baths, and make plans for the regulation of the river. Even Thorin approved, verbally, nonetheless!

"Good thinking!" He patted Fíli's shoulder, and he looked truly pleased.

He wished they remained in such a good mood after they discussed all subjects for the day.

* * *

 **A/N:** So it seems Fíli's heart isn't as forever broken as he thinks? Let's hope he'll realize it soon. Thanks for the follows and favorites so far, and especially for the reviews (hi **memo** , I'm glad you're here!)

 _SV_


	7. Not Friends

**Not Friends**

The first week of the Spring Tour passed without major incident. Everyone got on with each other fabulously, and Dís literally radiated happiness. Dwalin had never seen her smile so wide, and she looked every bit of the princess she was supposed to be. Still, it was a bit difficult to reconcile himself to her new image – not because he didn't like it or she didn't deserve it, but he couldn't forget her unrelenting hard glares of old times.

The initial announcement of the Tour left him unfazed. He had no problem with dwarrowdams (or women of any race, by the way), and found the reactions of his friends amusing. As for him, the Spring Tour proved to be less bothersome than he expected so far. He really shouldn't be so surprised, he admitted as much: Dís was ever the considerate hostess, and she knew how to deal with dwarves.

Dís had a large sitting room redecorated for the purposes of the Tour: only participants were allowed to enter. A row of tables run along the northern and western side of the room, leaving enough free space in the middle to dance. She thoughtfully arranged for more private settings: balconies (facing Dale), secluded corners, and as far as Dwalin knew, no less than three secret passages led out from here.

She granted free use of the room for the participants during the day, but every evening, she hosted a dinner party for those who cared to join. So far, everyone showed up every night enthusiastically, making new acquaintances and enjoying the food, drinks and company. Of course, Dís spoiled them with every bit of luxury she could think of, so the enthusiasm wasn't so surprising. Dwalin had noticed some were already forming attachments.

While he wasn't in a hurry to find a wife, he liked the way Dís managed the event.

The seating changed every night. Right now, Dwalin found himself between a snooty little creature, Pearl and a chatterbox, Vifte. Vifte was talking to Lee, the dwarrowdam right across from him, while Ori, from next to Lee, was staring daggers at her and occasionally glancing at Dwalin, silently begging for help.

As if! He wasn't suicidal enough to draw her attention to himself!

No, he wouldn't engage Vifte in a conversation. While Dwalin was _very_ good at listening to women, he found her too exuberant. He wasn't interested in Pearl either: at the start of the meal, they exchanged a few words about him being Captain of Erebor's Guard and her disdain for something as messy as fighting. She liked fine things like music and jewellery, and wanted to be spoiled and cherished. She was a delightful little creature at first sight, with raven black hair and delicate features, but Dwalin was sure she wasn't worth the trouble even for one night. Honestly, she was the shallowest person he'd ever met. She was now chatting up Nori on her other side, who seemed to give all the right answers considering the flush on her face and the flirty hand-gestures. Nori answered, making similar-looking hand-gestures, but seeing them made Dwalin almost spat out his drink.

 _I'm bored,_ Nori signed in Iglishmek.

Not wanting to save either brother, Dwalin looked around for a different source of entertainment. He heard roaring laughter from the other end of the table. Surprisingly, it looked like Thorin managed to entertain the group, probably telling one of the funny stories he performed well. (He knew four in total. He had a talent in messing up either the build up or the joke.) Dwalin hesitated for a moment to join them – Thorin had changed since renouncing the crown, and they struggled to find the easy friendship they had before – but eventually picked up his mug of ale and relocated to their side.

A dwarrowdam saw his approach and pulled an empty chair next to her. Her encouraging smile had the opposite effect on him: Liv was always sticking her nose into everything, and her inquisitive nature annoyed Dwalin. Even so, there was no other seat nearby, so he sat down, clutching his mug, prepared to drink every time she tried to talk to him.

"Did he really swear at the Elvenking in Khuzdul?" she asked, leaning uncomfortably close.

In his surprise, he forgot his resolve to ignore her. "He told you that?"

"That's what he was telling now."

"That's what you're laughing at?"

"Yes?" she answered uncertainly.

It wasn't among the four stories of his usual repertoire. Thorin must be practicing, or perhaps just loosening up – he really shouldn't begrudge him, but Dwalin felt mighty uncomfortable with the thought of a funny Thorin. Thorin was usually the butt of a joke, not the storyteller.

"Did you not know?"

"Wasn't there," he shrugged.

"Where were you then?"

"In the dungeons. The Elvenking only spoke to him. Not that I mind," he explained reluctantly. He knew she wouldn't let him escape without revealing every sordid detail. "We were halfway mad when they found us in that damned forest. They took us to the dungeons. They were feeding us with leaves, but otherwise, they ignored us, except for that one time, when the tree-shagger pixie-king wanted to talk to Thorin. Then Bilbo came and broke us out."

"That was very brave of him," she commented. "I've heard about hobbits before, but I had no idea they would be so resourceful!"

Dwalin nodded.

"But wasn't it very stupid to insult your captor so?"

Dwalin rewarded this question with an incredulous glare. "He kept us there against our will and you think we should be nice?"

"Sorry, I'm just… I've never been jailed, so you must be more of an expert than me." She bit down on her lower lip, when she realized that it didn't sound much better. "I'm not saying you are a criminal and have much experience in jail, or…"

Dwalin intended to let her embarrass herself – _nosy little chit_ – but she was giving him such a pleading look, he couldn't resist.

"I get it," he said finally, his face softening. "It was perhaps foolish, but we had no hope getting out anyway. No one blames him. Have you ever met the Elvenking?"

"No."

He told her about Thranduil. She was listening like she wanted to commit every word to her memory. She was interrupting him with questions about the Elvenking's background, as if she tried to discover the reason of his assholery. She made him all kinds of uncomfortable, and he was thinking about a good excuse to escape. He wasn't supposed to do the talking, he was supposed to simply listen. On the other hand, he felt a familiar thrill every time she bit down on her lip, which she did every time a new thought occurred to her. (In other words: constantly.)

Most of the time, she was looking at him with those strange, clear hazel eyes, and Dwalin felt like he would get lost in them. More than a few times, he realized he should be feeling uncomfortable now, and he fidgeted, debating in his mind why he should get away. She seemed notice it every time, and then she would look him over in a way that would be a very suggestive look from anyone else, but could be simple curiosity from her.

She was confusing.

She was very intense.

He stayed.

She was really pretty, too. Tonight, she wore her hair in a single, thick braid, her beard combed into it. She wore dark colors: purple and burgundy, and antique-looking bracelets were tingling on her wrists. She wasn't wearing anything to distract his eyes from her breasts, and as she moved to pick up her cup from the table, Dwalin started to wonder if it was purposeful. She seemed more brainy than flirty at first sight, but might be both.

"Why are you so interested in Thranduil?" he asked, deciding to wrestle the control of their conversation from her.

"I'm interested in everything and _everyone,_ " she shrugged, and reached for her cup. She was drinking ale, not the sugary sweet wine Dís loved (and provided for these dinners, so most 'dams followed suit). When she placed her cup back on the table, Dwalin would swear she was leaning closer than before.

 _Oh, two can play this game!_

"That's a nice thought, sweetheart, but everything and everyone can get a little crowded sometimes," he said, accidentally brushing her knee with his.

"Oh really?" she arched her eyebrows artfully. "Do you prefer a more private location?"

"Don't you sometimes?"

"It depends," she answered. "I like it when the noise of a crowd surrounds me. It makes me feel safe, like snuggling into the arms of a lover."

 _Confounding woman!_ Dwalin thought they were talking about the same thing, but it seemed she only wanted to explore in theory. He decided to just go – he didn't like when women were toying with him, and she couldn't seem to make up her mind. He wasn't so desperate to get laid to wait her out – she wasn't the first dwarrowdam to seek him out since they arrived.

She was looking at him with those inquisitive eyes. Perhaps she was waiting for him to make the first move, but what if he was misreading her? She was annoying, clever and a close friend of Vera. She was everything he usually avoided in a woman. She made him nervous, which hadn't happened in a long time. He wanted it to stop.

He downed the rest of his ale.

"And which one do you prefer: the crowd or the lover?"

She blushed. He found it endearing and annoying at the same time. She took too long to answer, and he was losing his patience.

"Shall I help you decide?" He nodded in the direction of the balconies, and stood. Either she would come with him, or he had no wish to continue this conversation. Fortunately she stood too – he was half pleased, half too stunned to react. She dragged him outside, and started yammering away about the view – darkness, mostly – but Dwalin focused on her hands which were feeling up his arm. _Definitely flirty._

"Are you coming to a decision now?" he teased her. "I thought we're to focus on that!"

Liv turned to him, looking up with surprise.

"Am I boring you? I'm sorry. I know I can talk too much, and you're right, I should just…"

Dwalin felt a pang of disappointment – _definitely not flirty now…_ – and a little guilt too. Hurting her feelings wasn't in his plans, not even at her most annoying moments, and right now, in the dark, she lost some of her belligerent confidence. He stepped away from her.

"No, I'm just… go on, please."

"No, I really… we should just… I'm messing it up."

Before Dwalin had a chance to discover what she meant by it, they heard voices – one of them he would recognize anywhere. They were to step out onto the balcony next to them, and Dwalin quickly grabbed Liv's hand and pulled her down to the cover of the parapet. Fortunately, he remembered to silence her with his hand – she was already opening her mouth the release a string of questions or scolding words. He put a finger to his mouth, and didn't release her until she nodded her consent to stay silent, just in time to hear Thorin and a 'dam step out for a breath of fresh air. Liv shot him a questioning glare, and Dwalin nodded. A cute little line appeared between her brows as she expressed her disagreement with the scheme, but it didn't affect him. She was free to go as long as she did it silently.

"It's a beautiful night, again," Dwalin heard the dwarrowdam's voice. He couldn't place it: probably she was one of the few he hadn't met yet.

"You say it every night." There was a little shuffling – Thorin probably took up a blanket and offered it to the dwarrowdam. _How thoughtful_.

"Because every night is beautiful here, and yet, every one of them is different. Does it make sense?"

"It's a great accomplishment to appreciate beauty in every form you can find it," Thorin said.

Dwalin rolled his eyes. He turned to Liv, and asked her if she knew the 'dam in Iglishmek. Liv only shook her head. Dwalin rolled her eyes again, and watched as Liv made exasperated gestures and finally, made a fairly obvious one, indicating he was stupid.

The conversation on the next balcony remained slow and trivial. Dwalin cursed himself for eavesdropping on Thorin. He was sort of boring and hopelessly clueless. What did he expect? He changed, but it would make him neither a romantic lover, nor would he fail spectacularly at such an early stage. He also cursed Liv for being so uncooperative, acting as if she didn't know the name…

Suddenly, he realized that she may not be reluctant to conspire, but she may not know _Iglishmek_. He turned to her again: she was listening to the conversation. He poked her elbow with a finger to catch her attention. He only made her annoyed.

He tried to explain to her with gestures – pointing at the direction of the pair, wriggling his eyebrows in a questioning way – what he wanted to find out, and eventually, she rolled her eyes.

 _A fine pair we make…_ he thought. At least now Liv found him annoying too, and she wouldn't bother him anymore.

Liv took his hand into hers, and started to tickle his palm. He tried to pull away, but she held it strong. She let her frustration show on her face, and started again with the tickling. When Dwalin tried to stop her with swatting her hand away, she signaled his stupidity again, and pointed at the voices nearby. This shut him up.

She was still holding his hand, and started the tickling procedure again. This time, she pointed at herself first, then moved her finger on his skin very slowly. She did it again, and for the third time, Dwalin realized she was drawing runes on his palm. His realization must have been visible, since she made an exasperated face, and did it again.

 _L-I-V,_ she wrote, pointing at herself. Dwalin nodded, and Liv smiled with obvious relief. She pointed at the other balcony, and started to write again.

 _E-R-N-A._

The name of Thorin's partner was Erna. Dwalin hadn't met her yet, but as soon as he gets out of here, he will surely seek her out.

They had a good time on the other balcony; talking about sweet nothings, politics, music and history; the 'dam giggling, Thorin chuckling occasionally, and Dwalin wasn't sure if he heard correctly, but it sounded like Thorin even complimented her once.

Occasionally, he chanced a glance at Liv. She looked a bit twitchy. He hoped she found the eavesdropping childish and vowed to avoid him in the future. She stayed, though, and didn't object once. He found the blankets (placed on every balcony to ward of the chill of the spring night), she took it gratefully, and tucked herself in. He had no idea if she paid any attention to the conversation – she may have drifted off. Eventually, she inched closer to him, probably still feeling the cold, so he put his arm around her waist and let her snuggle up to him – that's why they came here in the first place. Her hair tickled his ear, which was damn distracting. He had half a mind to just kiss her and forget about Thorin – he seemed to be doing uncharacteristically well – when it happened.

Thorin asked Erna about the dwarrowdams she'd arrived with. She told him about their backgrounds, who to avoid and who were at least tolerable. This grabbed Liv's attention too – she listened with interest, nodding where she agreed, making all kinds of grimaces when she disagreed. She looked put out that Erna found her _too_ lively. _What's wrong with lively?_ her eyes seemed to ask. At this moment, Dwalin found nothing unlikeable about her, so he scowled too.

"I wonder how all of you can get on when you are so different," Thorin commented.

"Oh, it's not so bad. Some of us knew each other in the Hills, so we tend to stick together. And we are all in a strange new place," she explained.

"And our home is suddenly occupied by an army of dwarrowdams. I can't decide which is stranger," Thorin chuckled. Dwalin found them disgustingly romantic, and the Thorin of old wouldn't ever talk like this.

Thorin spoke again:

"I'm glad you're such a good friend."

It took every ounce of Dwalin's discipline not to laugh out loud.

It sounded like the Thorin of old, finally! Perhaps he wasn't losing his touch bollocking up his romantic attachments. Liv almost forgot not to talk, seeing his reaction, but in the end, she decided to ask later and just snuggled back. Erna on the other hand seemed to comprehend the situation, as she didn't answer for a long while, then only sighed deeply and excused herself from the balcony because of the cold. Thorin followed her inside, not sensing anything amiss.

Liv raised her head from his chest.

"Are they gone?" she whispered. Dwalin nodded. "Will you tell me what's so funny?"

Dwalin wanted to, really wanted to, but at first, he had to laugh. After a while, Liv must have had enough, because she started to get up, but he pulled her back, into his lap. She didn't struggle, and the weight of her on him helped him focus and stop laughing.

"Well?" she demanded. He rested his head on her shoulder, and sighed contentedly. He liked holding her and just sitting with her in the quiet of the night for a moment, but of course, she had to ruin it. She started fidgeting and soon talking, very fast, too.

"I think it was romantic. He seems to be doing better with ladies than you. Why won't you let me go, if you don't want to tell me anything? Or what do you want here? It's cold. I'm cold. I think we should go inside."

That was a lie, because she was warm and clinging to him tightly.

"Thorin cannot be romantic," he stated. "And when he says friend, he means friend. Just plain, simple friend, nothing romantic."

"Ah, I see," Liv smiled. It was painfully obvious that Erna wanted more.

"Perhaps you should warn her," Dwalin said.

"No way!" she shook her head forcefully, fidgeting in his lap. "She said I'm _'so lively it's annoying'_! What does that even mean? We were friends back in the Hills. I thought we were friends. Perhaps we should warn Thorin that she is a mean friend. Friends aren't supposed to say mean things about each other! Am I really annoying?"

Dwalin really hoped this question wouldn't come up.

"Why won't you answer? You agree with her? Oh Mahal, you agree with her!"

"At least we're not friends," he growled. Now, she was trying to escape. "I'm sure there are worse things in the world than being annoyingly lively," he suggested. It stopped her for a moment, and looked back at him.

"You're right. We're not friends. And I'm too annoying to be anyone's friend. I should just get up and leave and… and leave Erebor! I shouldn't have come, it was a mistake, and…"

"Can you just stop talking for a minute? It's anno…" Dwalin stopped himself mid-word.

"See?" she stood finally, and tried to untangle herself from the blanket. Dwalin got on his feet too, grabbing her blanket, thus effectively keeping her from leaving.

"Will you just stop for a moment?"

She stopped, scowling angrily.

"You're stupid, too. You're… full of yourself! And bossy! And…"

"Mahal, lass, just…"

"Just what?" she snapped.

"She's a fool to be such a bad friend to you."

"Oh?"

For a moment, she stood still, looking at him with pleased surprise shining in her eyes. Later, he would swear it was a momentary lapse in judgment, but now, Dwalin thought it was a perfect moment to kiss her.

He did so. She let out a gasp, and he pulled her closer, encircling her waist with his arms. She leaned into him, and Dwalin felt the familiar spark of mutual attraction, but he must have misread something, because she pushed him away with an unexpected force.

"Stop, we just… Stop! I can't! It's too quiet here!"

"Lass, that's the whole point, you know!"

She started pacing, but made no effort to run away from him, or moving anywhere at all. He felt out of his depth here.

"I'm afraid of the silence!" she burst out.

That finally made sense: they'd been alone since Thorin and his partner left, and the noises of the party didn't reach them. It also explained her strange analogy about the crowd and a lover's arms. He took her hands in his.

"Would you like to go to a louder place?"

Fortunately, as Captain of the guard, he knew all the secret places in Erebor. Now that the river was found, there were a whole lot of new secret hideouts – Fíli was kind enough to share with him the maps that he kept from even the council. (For security reasons, of course.) Only three dwarves had seen it: him, Fíli, and Dís' cartographer, who made it.

Dwalin picked up the blankets, and led Liv to a place, where they could hear the roaring of a waterfall.

"Is it loud enough for you?"

Liv gratefully nodded, finally seeming to relax – she was talking nonsense on the way here to chase away whatever demons she heard in the silence. She seemed a bit emotional, but Dwalin let her keep her secret, and just resumed their kissing.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, while Fíli is mourning his lost love, that's what others do. Did you like it? Sort of calm before the storm.

to **Emrfangirl** : Dís is a little busy now, and I have planned a different storyline for her, but who knows, maybe she just doesn't notice the attention :) The cartographer will make an appearance soon enough. Thanks for the review!


	8. Losing Patience

**Losing Patience**

Rebuilding the baths proved to be as easy and quick as Fíli predicted. Clearing a way to the marble cave took only three days of light labor, and the cave was spacious and pretty. Meanwhile, they worked out the interior designs, and Fíli had already approved the plans. He was right: news of the baths made the dwarves of Erebor happy.

He cleared some time to visit the construction site. He managed to shake off his councilors, but somehow, his little brother found him.

"Can I go with you? Please! I know you don't want stuffy old Balin hot on your heels all the time, but I promise, I won't be like that!"

In the end, Fíli let him join.

Since the beginning of the Spring Tour, Kíli seemed to be in good spirit. Perhaps having a "lady friend" helped; whatever it entailed. After his unfortunate blunder the other night, Kíli stopped boasting about his relationship with Kasia, but her name often came up during their conversations. Perhaps Kasia was playing hard to get or pretending to be angry; she made a strong impression on Fíli, and he was sure she knew what she was doing. Chasing her around took up much of Kíli's time lately.

The marble cave was buzzing with activity. Fíli thought that he would find only a dozen or so dwarves carving the tubs and polishing the walls, but it seemed he underestimated the importance of the project. First of all, their mother was here, with Thorin and Dwalin, and architects were arguing in a group about the general style of the designs.

"Well, so much for the _'Already approved'_ category," he commented drily. Kíli looked around in awe.

"It's going to be huge," he stated, still slack-jawed. "It's a fantastic place. How did you know?"

Fíli smirked; it wasn't strictly his idea, but the mysterious cartographer didn't come forward to take the credits.

"Hello, Thorin, Dwalin, Amad," he approached his family. "I didn't know you'd be here today."

"Oh, Dís has been living here for days, haven't you, sister? I've brought her lunch," Thorin said. "She's planning something _grand_ with the place."

"Really, Amad?" Fíli chose to talk to her instead of Thorin. He truly wished for Thorin to stay put just once in a while.

"Yes. I have plans," she confirmed.

"She's very secretive," Thorin explained. "Tell us if she tells you something! You're her favorite," he added with a dry smile.

"I don't pick favorites!" Dís elbowed his brother. A year ago, she wouldn't dare to act so freely around him, but Thorin only smiled at her indulgently. He went through remarkable changes in the last year. "Come, Fíli, I will tell you just to spite them, but you have to keep it a secret," she said, dragging him away from the others.

"I told you he's your favorite!" Thorin called after them.

"He's my King, and I'll need his approval!" Dís called back, and turned back to Fíli, but she didn't fool anyone.

"So, what's the grand plan, Amad?" Fíli asked. Dís shook her head, and dragged him around the sides of the cave, not saying a word about it.

"This is going to be the common pool," Dís announced. The marble cave was huge, so they decided to build smaller, functional bathrooms on the sides for cleaning up, while leaving a spacious area in the middle for public use – for entertainment. Fíli saw twisting white lines drawn on the floor. "These dark colors will give the place an air of luxury, don't you think?" Dís pointed at the walls. "Green is a lot more special than those white and grey formations we usually find. This is going to make Erebor's baths famous!"

Fíli agreed. He pictured the pools in his mind: the crowd of dwarves, cheerful laughter and the mist of hot water blurring the image here and there.

"Don't look at the lines yet, but I think Liv tried to create a labyrinth out of the layout. That dwarrowdam is seriously talented! Perhaps you should put her in charge of the constructions. She has a very distinctive style, and she is very sensible. Do you know her?"

Fíli did. He had met her a few times, but his opinion wasn't so favorable. She had a know-it-all attitude, and while he didn't doubt her intelligence, speaking to her could be tenuous.

"She's lovely, isn't she?"

"Please, Amad, don't," Fíli asked in a low voice. Dís huffed, but let it go.

"Fine. But you should consider asking for her opinion regarding designs in the future."

That, Fíli could promise. The lines on the floor didn't make much sense to him yet, but he felt like it would look great when the carving finished. Not to forget, Amad had already provided one good (and secret) advisor for him.

Amad leaned closer after carefully looking around. "Don't tell the others," she whispered, "but I'm planning a Spring Tour event here. Perhaps we shall invite them for a private party before the opening; what do you think?"

Fíli raised an eyebrow. She wanted to let a bunch of half-naked, halfway-in-love dwarves in the baths? It was either very romantic or bound for catastrophe; also, promising great success.

"Don't tell the others! It's going to be a surprise!" she winked.

They returned to their family. Thorin stood thoughtfully listening to a stranger. Fíli had to take a deep breath, because he just _knew_ that he was seeing another of Thorin's selfless helping out actions. Kíli found the first completed tub, and was lying in it.

"Hey, Brother, it's very comfortable! I'm going to be the first in line when it's finished!" he claimed.

Amad nudged him toward Liv, who was in a heated discussion with Dwalin.

"…I don't want to hear about it, never, from no one! Understood?"

Fíli reluctantly intruded upon their hushed conversation. Dwalin looked unimpressed by Liv's anger, and steadfastly ignored Fíli.

"Are you done?"

"Yes!" said Liv belligerently.

"I'm not like that, understood?" Dwalin copied the dwarrowdams intonation, which made her lips twitch. "And I don't want to hear about it ever again, either. Understood?"

"Yes!"

"It's you who can't keep her mouth shut for a minute!" Dwalin said with a mocking smile, and strode out, leaving her with her mouth hanging open.

"Did you see that?" she asked Fíli incredulously. "Did he just say that I'm going to… to…" she looked at Fíli, realizing that she was on the verge of spilling the secret she wanted to guard. She fisted her hands and groaned in frustration.

"Well, you're more likely to say something," Fíli shrugged. "He's very discreet, whatever happened."

"How do you know something happened?" Her eyes rounded comically. "Did you hear something?"

Fíli laughed. "Stop acting like you're caught with your pants down!"

"What do you know?!" She pointed an accusing finger at him before the fight completely went out of her. "I'm leaving. Coming here was a really bad idea!" she moaned, hiding her face behind her hands. "Please, don't tell anyone!"

Fíli laughed again. "I won't tell anyone anything, since I don't know anything, but with him, something always happens!" he explained. "Don't worry, he won't tell. No one suspects a thing; that is, if you can stop acting so guilty. You're not the first to fall for his charm!"

"Thanks, now, you really made my day!"

"Fine, now can we talk about the reason I came here?"

Liv pouted. "Didn't you come to make fun of me? You don't like me either! No one likes me!"

Fíli massaged his forehead. _Wrinkles,_ just like Vera said. He so did not plan to talk to hysterical dwarrowdams today! Or ever, considering Flor was married, thus not his problem anymore.

"Alright. I was nice so far, but I'm here as your King now, and I want to talk about business. Are you in a state of mind to do that, or do you require written summons for later?" he asked on a firm voice. Liv shrunk visibly.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty!"

"Apology accepted. I'm sure that on the papers I've signed I saw different layouts than those," he pointed in the direction of where he came from. "Amad said they are your designs, and I want to see all of them, understood?" He couldn't help copying her and Dwalin's intonation with the last word, but she was too anxious to notice.

"I really didn't want to upset your plans, Sire."

"You didn't upset anything. They are good, that's why I want to see them. Send them to my study by tonight."

He left her before she could start another tirade, and joined Kíli.

"What is Thorin doing?" he asked his little brother.

"Charity," he said nonchalantly. "Hey, why don't we ride out after lunch? I'm bored and the weather is nice, and I barely see you these days," he said, pouting.

"Fine," he answered, his eyes still fixated on Thorin. He must have been frowning too, because Kíli spoke up again:

"Stop glaring. He's making your life easier. He's very proud of you, you know. He's telling that to everyone who cares to listen."

It surprised Fíli, but since Thorin can just say it to his face if he really means it, he shrugged it off. Where does Kíli hear these things, anyway?

He waved goodbye to Thorin, but didn't go closer. If they needed him, surely Thorin would have called him over. He felt a pang of jealousy, because people didn't stop him on the corridors to ask for personal favors, and a pang of anger, _because why can't he stop meddling?_

He followed Kíli to the Courting Hall (as they creatively named the room of the Spring Tour's events; Fíli only rolled his eyes). Kíli seemed to think having lunch here would be a good idea. Fíli didn't dare to voice his objections, because he didn't want to draw attention to the fact that he already spent less time here than he should have.

"Oi! Kasia!" Kíli hollered.

Kasia sat with a group of friends and she was carefully thinking over what to eat, but raised her hand to beckon Kíli over.

"Can you tell me the difference between the big bird and the bigger bird, My Prince?" she asked, playing the damsel in distress.

Kíli snickered. "Of course, My Lady. You see, this bird is bigger, so it has more meat on it," he explained with a dashing smile, eagerly. Kasia and the 'dams who witnessed his little brother's show giggled. "I hope my answer was satisfactory; you know I'm always ready to lend a hand!"

"Yes, My Prince," fawned Kasia. "Come, sit down," she patted the empty chair beside her, "and find a chair to your brother. I'm sure we can find a place for him too."

Fíli was surprised they cared so little for his presence. He obediently picked up a chair and looked around to find a place for himself. He was relieved to see a friendly face, and sat down beside her.

"Hello, Raya."

She was the friend of Kasia he was supposed to be competing against the other night.

…

Somehow, seeing the card-collecting as a competition took the burden off his shoulders. He wasn't looking for a wife through those introductions – he was competing against an unknown foe. At the end of the night, he strolled over to Kasia, puffing out his chest, telling her the number of cards he collected. Kasia smirked, and demanded to see his pile. They were mid-count, when Zaz arrived, dragging with her the most beautiful dwarrowdam Fíli had ever seen. Objectively speaking, she was even more beautiful than Flor, but Fíli would never say so.

"It's childish and unnecessary," Raya protested, clutching the purse where she hid her cards.

"The King doesn't think so," Kasia said, looking up. "Stop whining, I'm counting."

Raya looked at him. She attempted a polite smile, but she looked nervous instead. Still, even Fíli's cold and broken heart felt that she was a ray of sunshine trapped beneath the mountain, lighting up their lives. With her golden hair braided up as a crown, she looked every bit of a queen, but her shy countenance suggested she wasn't really here to rule over everyone tonight. The fact that Fíli managed to avoid her made him wonder where she was hiding all night. They didn't talk; Raya looked way too uncomfortable for that. The lack of her flirting allowed him to relax, and while they didn't speak more than five words to each other, he felt a comfortable kinship with the dwarrowdam.

"He won," Kasia announced, pouting.

…

Fíli usually ate at the Royal Wing with business partners, councilors, Amad or foreign guests (or Bard, when he came up to the Mountain to avoid his own council). He had no idea that the Courting Hall would be so busy during the day. He had an inkling that Kíli brought him here to socialize, but he ate in silence, and focused on his food. Fortunately, they really cared little about his presence – it scratched his pride, but not enough to wound it. His goal wasn't to be noticed after all.

Raya ate silently next him, too. He felt he should talk to her at least.

"Do you eat here every day?" he asked the first and lamest question that came to mind.

"Yes," Raya said. She waited a few moments, and eventually decided to elaborate to avoid awkwardness. "It was Kasia's idea, she likes having a lot of friends together."

Now that they started to talk, the silence became oppressive; so he said: "Yes, she's very outgoing. Like my brother."

Raya smiled. "It looks so easy when they do it," she sighed wistfully.

"It's not very hard," Fíli nodded.

"For me, it is," Raya confided in him. "If she didn't approach me at the first day, I don't think I could work up enough courage to talk to anyone."

This surprised Fíli. "Why?"

"I'm… just… like that," she answered awkwardly, a blush slowly spreading on her face.

"Well, I don't think you should do anything but smile, and people will go to you."

Raya swallowed, but didn't answer. Fíli sensed that he'd said something wrong, but had no idea what.

"So, what are you doing during the days?" he asked, changing the topic.

"Not much," Raya admitted. "I'm not skilled like many of the dwarrowdams. I'm just pretty," she said miserably, "and rich."

"What skills would you like to have?" he asked. It earned one of those radiant smiles of hers, which reminded Fíli of sunshine.

"Anything! Do you hear those legends about locking up dwarrowdams in the mountain for their safety and such nonsense? Well they are real. I was one of them, and my father only allowed me to come here because Lady Vera said it is a very old tradition, and that they can move to Erebor too. I don't even know what I was supposed to do here with all the independence I have for now!"

By the end, she was whispering, as if she didn't want to be overheard. Of course, everyone else at the table watched as Kíli clumsily danced around Kasia, who pretended not to notice his advances. Fíli wondered why she was confiding in him so easily, but she still felt like sunshine, and he was being majorly ignored.

Thorin appeared in the entrance of the Hall. Fíli was surprised to see him here, and he had to remind himself that showing up here would fit Thorin's new life goals perfectly. He snorted when Thorin sat down to a group of dwarves and dwarrowdams, but in spite of his expectations, they welcomed him with warmth and genuine cheer. Fíli had to look away. _When did Thorin start acting more carefree around friends than I?_

Fíli put down his utensils and pushed his plate away, although he had barely eaten. He caught Raya looking at him with confusion. _Right, we were talking._

"There must be something you're interested in!" he said to her.

Raya blushed again. "I like stories and reading about history and faraway lands," she confessed. "I know I should do something more useful, but… well… I'm not very skilled."

Fíli had an idea forming in his mind. He could swear he had seen Ori somewhere around the tables. _There he is!_

"Come, let me introduce you to someone!" He stood up abruptly. He had to get away from here, from Kíli's flirting and from Thorin's laugh, but he wanted to help Raya too. He strode up to where Ori was hiding – to Fíli's surprise, he had a redhead 'dam in his lap, their lips locked together.

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Fíli snapped. He knew he shouldn't react so sharply, but this whole finding-love business started to freak him out. He missed Flor.

"No, no, sorry," said Ori, gently pushing the dwarrowdam from his lap. "This is Lee," he introduced her. Fíli couldn't care less.

"Yeah. So, this is Raya, and she's interested in history, can you help her? Just show her around in the library at least."

Ori promised to do that, and Raya thanked him, so Fíli decided his presence here became pointless. He left the room as quickly as he could.

He walked to the stables to prepare his pony before Kíli arrives. He turned down to a less-used corridor for some privacy, but of course, his ever watchful guard, Ronen followed. In this moment, Fíli hated his loyalty and rigidness, which didn't allow him any room to breathe.

 _Breathe. Don't think of what you've lost._

Of course, he _had to_ think of Flor all the way to the stables and his seething upset his pony too.

It looked like everyone had someone now, while Fíli was alone, forever painfully torn in half. He used to be the one who had a lover, and even later, he used to be the one who could smooth-talk a lady into anything. He had friends and he could get lovers anytime he wanted. Now his friends were running after dwarrowdams and serious commitments, and he was getting left behind.

Not that he made any effort chasing.

Kíli finally caught up to him.

"You ran out of that room like you had orcs on your tail!" Kíli commented. Fíli scowled, and let him complain a bit about his abrupt departure. He apologized half-heartedly, and tried to pay no attention as Kíli talked about how much fun he had.

 _So much for_ his _broken heart,_ Fíli thought. Kíli tried so hard to convince him about his one true love for Tauriel, and right now, Fíli wanted to scream and tell him this was not how broken hearts functioned. Kíli 'had a thing' with Kasia according to him, while Fíli felt not even a spark of interest.

They rode out. Fíli tried to focus on the view and his pony and the cold breeze of wind in his face, but Kíli was still spouting out anecdotes about Kasia and her friends, and Fíli couldn't stand it.

"Can't we talk about something else?" he snapped again. He'd lost his patience more times today than he cared to count.

"Like how you are Mum's favorite son and she's looking the other way when you're sneaking away early every night, just like I predicted?"

Well, that topic sounded even worse. Fíli's face reddened.

"Yes. She's looking the other way as you oh-so-cleverly predicted, because she knows that I have no business there! I can't find my One there! I don't need to be there as a punishment of my atrocious behavior! I have a lot of responsibility to take care of, so she grants me a few minutes from time to time for myself, but do go on, how I act like I don't have to play by the rules! Not like it's not allowed to leave those parties early!"

"Bloody Mordor, Fee, what's your problem?"

"Everything!"

Kíli's baffled face didn't help him to calm down. He really didn't want to explain himself.

"It's not really a punishment, you know," Kíli spoke up cautiously. "We have a lot of fun. You don't have to fall in love, you know. You can just talk to them and have fun."

Fíli laughed bitterly.

"I can't, Kee."

"You seemed to get on well with Raya," he offered, but Fíli only scoffed. "The girls asked if you are interested in her. You see, I'm trying to make an effort for you, talking you up, but it would help tremendously if you only made the effort of actually showing up!"

Fíli gave him a desperate look.

"What part of _'I'm not interested'_ don't you understand?"

"Yeah, I get it, but why? You don't have to fall in love, you can just be friends with them."

He didn't get it, and Fíli had no idea how to make him.

"You're having fun there. Hell, everyone is having fun there, but they – the dwarrowdams, our friends – are looking for more than just fun and being friends. Everyone is flirting, even Thorin seems to not muck up as usually. Everyone is getting paired off, and I'm just standing there, alone, watching my friends fall in love, which is nice, but…"

"But you don't want to see it. I get it. But why won't you try? You can always make up an excuse if it doesn't work out. Raya…"

"Raya is beautiful, I know that. Kind too," he admitted, "but why try?" He let out a derisive snort. "I would only be lying to them."

Kíli wanted to interrupt, with his stupid repetitive arguments, but Fíli was trying to conjure up Raya's face – or anyone's beside Flor's – and coming up short.

"In my mind, I can't even see their faces," he said in a considerably calmer mood.

This shocked Kíli into silence, so Fíli upped his pace before he recovered, and galloped back to the mountain.

* * *

 **A/N:** Poor Fíli, forever alone and no one understands him... Wait, that's not true: you can read about it in the next chapter! Everyone is going to visit Dale. Thanks for following/favoriting the story, and drop me a review!

 _SV_


	9. Flower Festival

**Flower Festival**

The date of Dale's Flower Festival was rapidly approaching. The promise of a venture out of the mountain both excited and terrified the dwarrowdams. Some of them had never been among Men apart from their journey here, and some of them had no wish to do so.

Dís, however, insisted this time. She gave them a lot of freedom to roam around in the Mountain, to meet new people, and some of them were already forming attachments. She didn't meddle in their business so far, but they'd been here for more than a month and they seemed to feel comfortable in their new environment, so it was time to demand a bit of their attention.

Kasia and her friends felt more excitement than dread. Kasia had an overabundance of energy, and scooped up in the Mountain did little good for her. She used to spend time over ground at home and she grew up on her mother's tales, but Men rarely visited her hometown. Zaz shared her enthusiasm up to a point, but then, she left her to her own devices.

Fortunately, Kíli proved to be a constant source of information and entertainment.

"Is it true that Men find our beards bizarre?" she asked him one day. "Do I have to shave it?"

Kíli laughed at her.

"I wouldn't let you shave your beautiful beard off for the whole world!" he reassured her. "And if any Man bothers you for it, let me know. I think I can teach them a lesson or two about how to treat ladies!"

Kasia giggled. Kíli could be such a sweetheart. Despite the bumpy start, they got on really well. They both had fun-loving, outgoing personality, and he wasn't shy to get a little intimate. It wasn't really frowned upon among dwarves to have… _relations_ before marriage, and Lady Vera actively encouraged them to check the prowess of their suitors before they said yes to anything permanent, but they didn't get farther than kisses and a few slightly improper touches.

Zaz often peppered her with questions about Kíli.

"Is he giving you gifts?" she asked constantly. Kasia always shook her head. There was a young lass among them, Alin – they became sort of friends, but Alin was a little too reserved, and Kasia liked to avoid her overbearing sister. Still, Alin was nice, and she always got these spectacular and thoughtful gifts everyone was jealous of. Kasia and Zaz made several attempts to discover the identity of her secret admirer, but the dwarf masterfully guarded his secret, and Alin wouldn't budge either.

"He's taking me out to places," Kasia mentioned every time Zaz asked her about Kíli. True, Kíli didn't follow traditional courting patterns, but he spent a lot of time with her, and she appreciated it. He took her to long walks inside Erebor, showing her all the best places, he taught her archery, took her out riding, and showed her a secret passage to Lady Dís' secret wine cellar. They rarely spent time just the two of them alone, but Kasia loved having a lot of friends around, so it didn't bother her, and Kíli paid particular attention to her even in company.

She wasn't worried about their relationship; she was doing well.

Zaz was more pessimistic.

"Something bothers me about these Durins," she kept saying. "The King is just disturbing with his ghostly presence. Everyone talks about how great he is, but we never actually get to see him, despite his alleged participation. Thorin had that 'dragon-sickness', which is just an excuse, if you ask me. I think it's a cover for something really bad, because why would he give the crown to another if he was fit to rule?"

Kasia had to admit that she made sense, but she still tried to defend Kíli. "He's not like them. He's funny, thoughtful and healthy."

"Yeah, but he hasn't attached himself to you formally, despite taking up all your time," Zaz argued. Kasia tried to avoid this topic, but she couldn't ignore Zaz's own experiences with dwarves. The fact that she steered clear of anyone rich spoke volumes.

* * *

Lady Dís gave out maps of Dale to the participants of the Spring Tour.

"You're supposed to find the highlighted places in the city, and get a token from every single one of them. You will find mediators at these points from sunup to sundown; they will make sure to avoid any altercations. Have a nice day tomorrow!"

With this, she left them to their own devices. Some of them studied the map with interest, and of course, everyone could count on Liv to fill the silence with an overabundance of information.

Somehow, it bothered Dwalin less than before.

Fíli was the next to disappear – who else? He was sneakier than a thief these days; he even managed to leave behind his guard. Poor fellow had to sign up for the Spring Tour too, as part of the job, but he couldn't have much fun so far.

Dwalin glanced at Liv: they had a wonderful night a couple of week back, but a few days later, she started accusing him of gossiping, insulted him some more and ignored him for days. She started to harass him again with her questions and opinions since then, always striking out of the blue. He tried to clear his head by shaking it: it wasn't like he couldn't find someone else to occupy his time with. It's not like _she_ had trouble finding someone else. He just…

He still found her annoying, even from afar. Better to stay away.

He decided to follow Fíli's example before the dwarrowdam remembers him, perhaps catch up to him – lad could take care of himself, but he should know better than stomping around in the mountain in full regalia all alone.

"Oi, Fíli!"

"Came to lecture me about my security?" He was definitely frustrated. "Can't I be alone for a moment?"

"Your alone a lot lately." Fíli rewarded the comment with a glare. "Just sayin', not that there's something wrong with it."

"Good."

Fíli turned and took off, clearly not in the mood for company.

Dwalin followed him from a distance. Dís was harassing him if he knew what was troubling him lately, but Dwalin had no idea. It looked like he wouldn't be the one to find out.

* * *

Every surface of Dale was covered in flowers. There were petals on the streets, vendors' stands lining the road, bouquets and garlands made from wildflowers hanging from the roofs, and pots of geranium in various colors sitting on the windowsills.

Zaz was off with her new beau, and all of their friends had someone on their arms. (Except for Raya, who stopped at the first stand asking about the flowers. Probably she won't provide the entertainment Kasia was looking for.)

Despite her hopes, Kíli didn't ask her to go together to the festival. All her friends were here with partners, and she had no idea where he was. Of course, it wasn't mandatory to pair off, but finding the tokens _were,_ so he had to be somewhere here – hopefully, not with another 'dam. Zaz's doubts echoed in her mind, making her worried.

Liv appeared at her side. "Hey, Kasia, do you mind if I join you?"

She didn't mind. Liv was sort of entertaining, and knew all the relevant gossip. Kasia wondered if she had trouble finding a partner for this outing or she was purposefully alone – Liv tried to keep her options open, and favored a different dwarf every night. Normally, Kasia would have done the same, but Kíli was always around, always willing, and… he was only missing when he should be here. They started picking up the tokens. At one point, they were joined by a quartet of dwarves – three smith apprentices and a young guard.

Eventually, they heard a commotion from an alley. Kasia peeked in curiously: the King of Erebor had arrived on horseback.

 _Of course he couldn't come quietly_ , Kasia thought with less than friendly feelings. The King wouldn't grace them with his presence just so. At least it seemed he didn't bring his whole entourage: only Kíli and two of his guards came with him. They got off their ponies, and a tall Man in black clothes greeted them.

Her new friends tried to drag her away, but she inched closer to the newcomers. Maybe she can learn why they arrived so late. Of course, they knew Dale better than most, but wouldn't Kíli want to spend time with her? Was there some trouble they had to deal with?

The Man seemed to be their friend; they asked about his family. He acted as if they came here to visit him. The King acted like it was true; only Kíli declined his invitation.

"Mum has this game going on; we should go around and pick up a few things," he explained. "Actually, Fíli should come, too," he said seriously.

"Actually, Fíli will do no such thing," the King said derisively. "Ronen here will pick up everything I need. It's not like I need a tour of the city, and he has to pick them up for himself anyway."

"You can't just order your guard to do it for you!" Kíli was outraged. "I'm telling Mum! She will set you right!"

"She knows," the King shrugged. "It might be a surprise to you, but I actually talk to her sometimes."

"Yeah, it's a surprise!" Kíli growled. "Still, it's not fair. It's not like I signed up voluntarily! Just like this poor fellow. He's here because of you! You can't just order him to…"

"Will you just stop it? I won't go. I don't want any part of this. I won't do a thing today except for going with Bard. Ronen is _my_ guard, and he will happily obey my orders, won't you, Ronen?"

"Yes, Sire!" the guard answered without hesitation.

"See? Unless you decide to help him out."

"Not a chance!" Kíli protested. "You are a piece of cake, Nadad!"

He stormed away, failing to notice Kasia's huddled form. Kíli had always spoken about his brother with utmost respect and love; that's why she gave the King the benefit of the doubt. It seemed she shouldn't bother anymore. She lost her interest in the conversation and went to find Kíli.

* * *

Meanwhile, Fíli sent Ronen on his business without a second thought. His second guard, Grimur, followed him and Bard on the alley behind the buildings. Bard led them to the back door of his house.

"No one's here," Bard announced. "Except for some guards at the doors. Your man can join them."

"I stay with the King," Grimur stated.

"That's really not necessary," Fíli said.

"With utmost respect, Sire, it's my duty."

"Alright," Fíli nodded. His temper was rising. During this last week, he found himself ordering around people a lot, reminding them to his title to get his way. He would feel ashamed, if not for the fact that they suffocated him. He continued on his haughtiest tone: "Take your utmost respect, your duty and yourself to Bard's guards; I'll be fine here with him."

Grimur, although disgruntled, obeyed.

Bard whistled. "Now, that was very kingly of you!"

"Don't. They just can't give me a break! Do you know how does it feel when they are watching your every step?"

"I do," Bard answered drily, as he struggled with the same situation. He opened a cupboard. "Still Best Friend?"

"Of course!" Fíli answered. He sat down in his favorite leather armchair and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his face in his palms.

"So, what urgent business do we have for today?" Bard inquired while filling two glasses with the dark liquid. "Besides getting blind drunk."

"Dunno," Fíli muttered. "Secret trade agreement? Secret brainstorming session? Something secret?"

"We always use the 'secret' excuse," Bard answered drily. "It's starting to get suspicious."

"It's always been suspicious."

"Oh, come on, my daughters believe me!"

Fíli snorted.

"So is this Spring and Love thing really that bad?" Bard asked him with sympathy, handing him his glass of Best Friend. Fíli gulped it all down before answering, which earned him another whistle from Bard.

"You're serious about blind drunkenness!" he commented.

"Just say the words and I'm off."

"I won't say a word."

Bard refilled his glass, and prepared a second bottle, so they won't have to bother getting up for it. Probably, they wouldn't be able to get up for a third at all.

Sometimes the two kings met up under the pretense of some secret business, and got drunk together. They were both new to their unexpected role, and sharing their struggles eased the burden a little. They trusted each other completely after what happened in Laketown: unlike Thorin, Fíli didn't forget for a moment Bard's selfless and invaluable help, and Bard would always remain grateful for saving his children's lives. In their realms, they had to keep up appearances, but in their own homes, they wanted to relax.

"It's like they don't understand."

Bard sighed. He had heard about the concept of the Spring Tour from Sigrid, and during a previous drinking session, when he was mourning his wife, Fíli told him about Flor. Sometimes he forgot about the difference in the life-span of Men and Dwarves, and he knew that Fíli's love story was a lot unlike his marriage, but twenty year was twenty year. It was almost double of what he had.

"I mean, Amad does, sort of… but no one else," he continued, struggling with each word. He refilled his glass again, and Bard had a feeling that tonight he wouldn't be able to keep up. "She knows I'm skipping these parties, and she never calls me out on it, but Kíli tries so hard to make me fall in love! He just…"

"He wants you to be happy," Bard finished the sentence, when Fíli wouldn't. "Sigrid wants the same. She's nearly old enough to marry, and instead of looking at young men, she's looking for a wife who will take care of me after she marries. Does that make any sense?"

At the mention of Sigrid, Fíli accidentally swallowed the whole content of his glass, and had to refill again. He'd almost done in the full bottle, and he hasn't been here for half an hour.

"My Best Friend makes me happy," Fíli stated. For a while, they complained and commiserated, but eventually, their voices slurred. The second bottle went down slower, but by the end, they had trouble standing.

* * *

Since Fíli introduced her to Ori and Ori introduced her to the depth of the library, Raya cared little for finding a husband. Ori also set her up with an instructor in elven language – Sindarin, it was called, and even the name of it fascinated Raya.

"Not many dwarf care to learn elven language," Ori apologized, as if it was something to be ashamed of. Raya cared little for the appreciation of the crowd and knew too little about elves to hate on them. The subject mattered little to her: she just wanted to learn. She was very happy with her Sindarin lessons, and even happier with her instructor. The older dwarf, Janni, was very patient, always checking if she understood everything, and he seemed to ignore her exotic beauty everyone remarked on upon meeting her. He only asked if she spoke any languages at all, and cautiously advised to find something else to study when she admitted she had troubles even with Khuzdul.

(She had trouble with Khuzdul only because she hadn't ever met a soul who spoke to her on their sacred language. Her father thought women too fickle to keep a secret, so he hadn't seen fit to teach his daughter, even though she was sequestered under the hills, always chaperoned, never leaving their settlement and certainly never meeting anyone outside of her race. She didn't mention it to her instructor, anyway.)

Oh, and the books! Since Dís mentioned the Flower Festival, she took on the task of studying plants until the festivities. She hoped the Men wouldn't be too scary; she spent a night in Dale before they arrived, and it was pleasant enough, but now they will be expected to mingle in the crowd.

She chose to ignore Men mostly, focusing instead of the plants. Plants wouldn't offend her or take offense, and she admired every stand and complimented every vendor.

She wanted to enjoy her freedom until she could. Her parents would arrive in the next couple of days – to relocate to Erebor permanently.

In the afternoon, she was standing by a table of pot plants for sale, when she heard a Man making derogatory comments about the wildflowers decorating the square.

"It's plain stupid and utterly disrespectful to try and make us believe that Dale is surrounded by good, fertile meadows! Why would they grow such weeds on good, fertile land instead of useful grains?" he mocked the decorations.

"I assure you, Mister, the fertility of our lands are above average," she heard the voice of the Princess of Dale. How humiliating it must be to listen to these comments! Raya promised herself to thank her for organizing the Festival, but she braced herself for a rude rebuttal. The Princess didn't get on with the dwarrowdams at their first meeting, and she must be in a bad mood by now. Raya would be, if Men would make these cruel comments about her work!

She listened further in on their conversation.

"If it was true, then you would only grow food. Or are your farmers lazy and leaving these _weeds_ among the grain out of carelessness?"

The Princess was trying to find polite words or an explanation, and Raya decided to help her out.

"Diversity makes the ground more fertile," she said loudly, gathering up all her courage. She was prepared to take their condescending glares, and perhaps even verbal abuse.

"Excuse me, Dwarf? Since when do dwarves know the first thing about growing anything, including themselves?" The rude Man barely looked at her.

"We do not have to do it to understand the theory."

The Man laughed, and Raya was waiting for the open ridicule, but no one else cared to join him. She looked at the Princess: she frowned in confusion. Raya decided to explain:

"Different plants need different materials to grow, and attract different animals and bugs and worms. They all help to refresh the ground, so having wildflowers spread across a wheat field helps the ground grow better grains. It's not laziness. And using them as decoration is a perfectly sensible reason after doing the weeding just before the harvest."

Her speech caused stunned silence. The Princess came to first:

"As she said," she pointed at her, and patted her shoulder. The Man looked around, trying to find a clue that they were joking, but everyone was nodding seriously, commending the Princess' brains and her dwarf friend's too. The Princess took Raya by the shoulder, and led her to a more private setting.

"Come, you are my new best friend," she said with a relieved smile.

Raya felt uncomfortable, but she didn't dare to refuse when the Princess offered her tea and biscuits.

"Tell me about yourself, starting with your name first. Oh, are you one of those traveler dwarrowdams?"

Raya spent a pleasant hour in the company of the Princess of Dale, and promised Sigrid to meet her again. She was really proud of herself, doing so well in a city of Men for the first time. Unfortunately, she was running out of time if she wanted to get back to the mountain before sundown, and she didn't see any familiar faces nearby. She decided to walk up alone – the road between Dale and Erebor was short and wide, one of the safest on Middle Earth.

She barely managed to get outside of the city walls, when she felt a hand grabbing her. She wanted to scream, but her attacker pushed a piece of cloth into her mouth, and another attacker pulled a thick bag over her head. She struggled, but they held her wrists firmly, binding them behind her back, then binding her legs too. They dragged her boots off of her feet. They allowed her to stand again, but the uneven ground hurt her bare feet. She tried to yelp, only to be stifled by the cloth in her mouth. She tried to scream, tried to struggle, but to no avail. One of her attackers got bored with her antics, and hit her in the head.

Finally, the world went black.

* * *

 **A/N:** A visit to Dale. It sounded like a good idea in Dís' mind, but as you can see, not everything goes according to plan. What happened to poor Raya? She's just started to fit in. What's going on in Kíli's mind? Didn't he have a broken heart too? Next chapter is coming soon - oh, and Fíli's finally meeting the mysterious Cartographer in it!

 _SV_


	10. Make It Right

**Make It Right**

Fíli usually slept off his inebriation at Bard's home. The next morning, he awoke to a fierce headache and momentary blindness: someone pushed open the curtains.

"Morning, Sunshine," he heard Sigrid's stern voice. He cursed himself and anything he could think of: finding Sigrid in his room on a morning like this can only be a nightmare. Only, the pain felt too real, and Sigrid continued:

"Three bottles! It must be a record. Last night must have been a hard one; I couldn't wake Da yet. If you know any _secret_ trick for that, now would be the time for sharing."

Fíli didn't feel up to talking.

"Do you need a bowl?" Sigrid asked. Fíli only covered his face with his blanket.

"Oh, no, no, definitely no!" Sigrid yanked away the blanket. "You got Da drunk, you make him right! I don't know about you, but he has a job to do!"

Fíli had no idea what he was supposed to do, but had a sneaking suspicion that he shouldn't be in bed in Bard's home when the sun was already shining so brightly. He groaned loudly and buried his head in his pillow.

"I thought dwarves can hold their drink better," sighed Sigrid, and left. She returned, carrying a tray, a pleasant, fresh smell rising from it.

"Sit up and drink. It's coffee. Your mother was asking after you last night. I told her you're here."

She spoke on a low voice and with surprising gentleness. He managed to get in a sitting position, and took the cup from Sigrid's hand. The warmth and the bitter aroma helped to regain his senses. They heard a ruckus and loud swearing from the next room, and Sigrid went to check in on her father.

"Why are you helping me now?" Fíli had to ask.

Sigrid smirked, stopping in the doorway to consider her answer. "Now, that's a good question, isn't it?"

"No, seriously! Don't we hate each other?"

"We do."

She left. Fíli managed to get on his feet, and washed himself. He avoided looking in the mirror: he knew he must look horrible if even Sigrid took pity on him. He heard Bard's groans from the next room; suddenly silence, and Sigrid returned.

"He's alright," she said hesitantly. "Is he really alright? Did he say something to you last night?"

Fíli's mouth opened in surprise. So much for the _secret_ excuses. He shook his head slowly. "No, last night was about me."

Sigrid nodded.

"Wait, really, Sigrid, why are you helping me?"

Sigrid let out an annoyed huff. "Can't you let it go? We hate each other, and when you leave our home in a short while, we will return to hating each other. But right now, you're miserable and clearly in some sort of pain, and I'm not the sort of person to deny help only because I hate someone. I'd like to think the same is true about you."

She left again. Fíli thought about her words, and decided to take them as they were. He wouldn't turn her out of the Mountain if she was sick either. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and Sigrid came back.

"Your mother sent a messenger. You need to get back to the Mountain immediately."

"Why?"

"Go, and you'll find out, I guess," she said uncertainly.

* * *

Dís paced in the stables waiting for her son. She knew it was unreasonable to think that he can make it all right, but his presence would truly raise her mood now. He was her Sunshine; not only because of the color of his hair, but because of his rare tender moments lighting up her darkest hours. She could always rely on him, even when he was but a child – he made all her burdens easier to carry.

Fíli arrived on the messenger's horse, leaving behind his guard and his slower pony for the messenger. He jumped down from the still moving horse and run to her.

"What happened, Amad?"

Oh, finally. She buried her face in her hands, and he immediately stepped closer to pull them away and search for an answer in her eyes. She was close to tears.

"Amad, tell me, please!"

Right. She had to pull herself together. She frantically tugged on the string of her purse, and Fíli took it and opened it for her. She pulled out a letter.

"It's from Kíli, for you. I'm sorry. I opened it, because a maid said she saw Kíli pack a bag and leave the Mountain in the middle of the night. I checked his room, and he's really gone, and… Read it!" she demanded, suddenly becoming fierce.

.

 _Dear Nadad,_

 _I don't know how you do it. I don't know how you are capable of understanding perfectly what's going on around you or in your head, but I'm just a dumbass, and I have no idea anymore about anything. I've heard you last night when I checked in on you at Bard's. I know you always said I couldn't love Tauriel as you loved F, but I have to know. I'm going to find her, and see what happens. I hope you will welcome us back to the Mountain if we decide to get back here together. You're a very tolerant king, after all._

 _Kíli_

 _P.S.: Let's pray the spiders don't eat me this time. Also, please send ransom if Thranduil throws me in jail again. It's not my intention to get into trouble, but just in case, you know, check in on Thrandy if he's too quiet for too long and I'm still missing._

.

Dís watched him, while he read the letter. His face turned angry at first, then an embarrassed shade of red, then chalk white. He flushed red again, and he looked ready to kill by the end.

"That uncaring, goat-fucking selfish little prick!" Fíli swore. "Couldn't he wait until the morning at least?"

Dís shook her head. "I think I'm missing some vital piece of information here."

"Yes, you do, Amad. Who else knows?"

"No one, apart from you, me and the maid, but I sworn her to secrecy."

"Dwalin? Thorin?"

"I came to you first."

"…Kasia?"

"Kasia?" Dís asked with genuine surprise.

"Yeah, they 'had a thing'. I'm thinking right now that Kíli doesn't understand what that means."

Dís buried her face in her hands again. "That boy will be the death of me."

"Yeah, Amad, do you want to find him?"

"We know where he went, and I guess I feel better until I don't hear more about this Tauriel person."

"That's right."

"There is something else." Dís' frown hinted at some bad news. "A dwarrowdam, Raya, is missing."

" _What_?" Fíli felt his stomach drop.

"I sent the messenger to ask after her too; maybe he'll bring good news, but she should've been back last night. Apparently, she left Dale before sundown. You see…"

Fíli swore again, mixing in insults in Khuzdul.

"Yes. And you don't even know, but her parents are coming in a few days."

This time, Fíli buried his face in his hands, then his hands in his hair. Losing a visiting dwarrowdam was serious trouble.

"If something happened to her…" he started, not really knowing how to continue, but Dís interrupted.

"I think finding her is more important than finding your idiot of a brother. At least he can take care of himself, and we know for sure where he went and why."

"Does anyone know about Raya?"

"You, I and Sigrid, but the dwarrowdams are bound to find out when they wake up."

"Her instructor too," Fíli said, and at his mother's questioning glare, he explained. "I… sort of helped her out, and it resulted in Sindarin lessons for her."

"Why for Mahal's sake would you do that?"

"She wanted to do something with herself. She's awfully lonely, you know."

"The one single dwarrowdam you're talking to, and _she_ goes missing?" She was scared now. "Who knew about you?"

"Kíli, Ori, some of her friends… We don't even talk much, we just get along."

"Thank Mahal! I feared for a moment that it could be an attempt against you!" She hugged him, and kissed his forehead to drive her point home. _Be safe!_

"Anything else, Amad?" he sighed.

"When I checked in on Raya, I found Nori sneaking out of someone's room. I didn't see which one, though, but it was clear why he was there."

"Shall I have words with Nori?"

"Maybe. I was too shocked to see him, and he slipped away before I came to."

"Fine," Fíli massaged his forehead. At least Nori was careful; probably it wasn't the first night he spent there. "Anything else? I've never thought I would see the day when Nori is the least of my problems. Usually, he is the one stirring up the biggest shit."

Dís chuckled. "Yes, I'm surprised too, but I'm afraid there is something else. It's my fault. Everything is my fault, I should've never let them go to Dale!"

Fíli smiled softly. He realized that they were still standing in the Entrance Hall. "Let's go to my rooms, I need to change and we can talk freely."

"Go ahead," Dís said. "I'm waiting for news about Raya first. Feel free to take a bath; you reek of alcohol."

* * *

Fíli took a bath and changed into comfortable clothes. Kíli's actions didn't make sense. What did he hear? And why? Can't he accept that there are things he feels more comfortable discussing with Bard than with his brother? Although, he had to admit that he wasn't surprised by the manner of his departure. Kíli made rash decisions and acted upon them impulsively. In this moment, Fíli strongly hoped that Thranduil finds him and throws him in jail. He would let him rot there for a while, maybe that will teach him a lesson.

Raya's disappearance didn't make sense either, but it gave a cause for worry. He hoped Amad would bring good news, but he feared she wasn't.

He also hoped he would be far, far away when Kasia discovers Kíli's betrayal.

Amad knocked half an hour later, and shook her head.

"Get Dwalin, and make up an excuse for Raya. They will be asking after her, and they will panic."

They both knew that Dís' (and Erebor's) reputation as a hostess was depending on how they handled the case – probably more, if the vengeful dwarrowdams and families decided to turn against them. Fortunately, Dwalin was a man of action, and he rode out immediately to find a trace.

"Let's go see where he goes."

Fíli and Dís walked to a quiet terrace about midway to the top.

"Val made a spectacle of herself yesterday," Dís said conversationally. Fíli searched his mind for a face, but came up without result. "The 'dam Kíli insulted a few weeks back."

"Oh, I know! She's a little… less proper, than the others."

"That's the one. She got herself a Man."

"And what's wrong with it?" Fíli himself had been with plenty of Women, and he wasn't the only one in his acquaintance.

"That we _know,_ clearly!"

"Any complications about it?"

"Oh, just a little bit of bad reputation, why should we care?" Dís answered sarcastically. "Bofur also caused a stir, when he was caught entering a brothel. He tried to explain away with excellent food and drinks, but his purpose was painfully obvious."

Fíli snickered.

"Stop laughing!" Dís said sternly. "I catch you once entering one of those places, and you're disowned!"

"I own the whole Mountain, Amad."

"By _my_ bloodline!" she threatened. "So, apparently Bofur has fallen out of grace with the ladies finally. I was waiting for it, really, because there is only so much chomping and burping a 'dam can take during lunch, and I'm amazed they tolerated him so far. Also, the guard, who you so mercilessly ditched, had to sweep in and save a young 'dam, Lena from a grabby Man. I don't know what's wrong with her, but she is very accident-prone."

Fíli puffed out his chest, "I'm really proud of Ronen, he's a good guard."

"Good, as in blindly obedient!" Dís retorted angrily. "Did you at least paid him to cover for your little excursion, or you simply gave an order?"

Fíli flushed red again, and mumbled his answer inaudibly.

"Because he wouldn't tell me where you were, and he reassured me in a quite convincing manner that you completed the exercise by yourself and he only brought the tokens to me so you could have some rest!"

Ronen was very loyal, but obviously, there was no fooling Amad.

"See? A raven!" pointed Fíli to the sky. Ravens were sensitive about the Mountain's moods, as if it was a sentient being. They reacted to every upset that happened inside or outside; maybe they can help. Accidentally, there was a raven, but it made no attempt to descend. Fíli sighed in frustration. "It's pointless. I wish I could do something useful!"

* * *

An hour spent on the terrace, and they discussed involving others in the search. They had seen Dwalin's form disappearing in the young forest east of Dale.

"I should go," he suggested. Next to Dwalin, Kíli was the best tracker in Erebor, but as he left, his involvement was obviously out of question. Thorin would be useless with his lacking sense of directions, and Balin always relied on his brother in these matters. Óin cared more for the sky than the ground outside, Glóin's obvious preference of cities wouldn't help either; Gimli was too young to have any significant experience, and they were out of cousins. To avoid panic, they had to choose carefully who and how many to involve. Aside from the Company, not a lot of dwarf had significant tracking skills: they preferred mountains, cities and avoided the wilderness, where they were too clumsy and loud. Perhaps Nori could be tricked into a bargain: his secret for his help; but Nori was also a shadow, who simply disappeared.

Oh, they looked for him, Dís and Fíli, but when they arrived at the home the three brothers shared, they only heard shouted argument.

"You can't just stay out for the night! It's dangerous! You made me sick with worry!" they heard Dori's voice. To their surprise, he wasn't scolding Nori – Ori answered.

"I'm a grown dwarf, I can do as I please!" he said.

"When did he grow a backbone?" Dís mouthed to Fíli.

"I can go out with a 'dam if I want to!" he continued. Fíli nodded to his mother.

"For her."

"For who?"

Fíli snorted in frustration. Did his mother really expect him to memorize the names of all these 'dams?

"She is not good enough for you!" Dori whined.

"She is perfect for me. You only hate her, because you can't control her. And by the way, you can't control me either! If I want her to spend the night here, I will just ask her, and she'll say yes!"

Dís listened with utter befuddlement. Fíli decided to break up the fight. He knocked. Both Ori and Dori stood at the door, and asked in perfect sync:

"What?!"

"Is Nori here?"

He wasn't, and he hadn't been seen for a while. Fíli dragged Amad away before she expressed her congratulations to Ori. She was very pleased with his choice when she managed to put together the identity of the dwarrowdam based on Fíli's vague descriptions.

"Why can't you be like Ori? He's such a good boy! If only his mother would live still, she could be really proud!"

"Yeah, and seeing Nori would send her back to the grave!" Fíli argued. "I was a perfectly good son minutes ago, you know!"

After this scene, he decided to go out after Dwalin, as the next best tracker available. Since he was going without a guard, he agreed to disguise himself, which meant another change of clothes, and a generous amount of dirt to hide his distinctive hair. Amad left, muttering something about her secret weapon.

Fíli had just put on the finishing touches, when Amad knocked.

"Are you decent?" she asked, which was strange, since she cared little for her sons' state of undress generally. Fíli went and opened the door.

"Another dwarrowdam?" he asked, when he saw the figure standing next to Amad. "Haven't they caused enough trouble yet?"

Amad fixed him with a glare.

"She's my cartographer, and you appreciate her too," she reminded him.

That was true. Fíli looked at her with stirring curiosity. He had seen her here and there in the Mountain, always in the strangest of places. She wore her hair on her right side tightly braided back in two lines, while left it free on the other side. Her beard hang in two plaits, heavily adorned with metal beads. She wore a piercing in her right eyebrow, and there appeared to be blue lines in her dirt-blond hair. She wore a dark, knitted sweater and a leather vest under her shortish but thick coat, tight leather pants, and big, sturdy boots. She looked… tough _._

She also looked very unimpressed.

"Are you ready to go?"

She spoke with little intonation, as if she found the situation unbearably boring or unpleasant. Fíli looked at Amad.

"She's going with you. Her tracking skills are excellent, trust me. We tested her on the way here," she winked.

Fíli put on his hunting coat – an old, well-worn piece, but very trustworthy, and heavy with hidden weapons. He sighed in pleasure when he felt the familiar weight of his knives. This earned a quick weird glance from the cartographer, but she didn't make a comment. They rode out together on the best horses, to reach Dwalin as quickly as possible.

Fíli looked at her with appreciation, when they reached the forest. She was an excellent rider. She tied her horse to a tree, and instantly went to find Dwalin's trail.

"Did you bring weapons?" Fíli asked, before they entered the forest. This earned another weird glare.

"Did you really need to ask this? Of course I did. Now, hush."

Fíli felt a thrill running through his spine. No one 'hush'-ed him in a long time; it was simply not done to the King of Erebor. She cared little for titles and ceremony, it seemed. He watched as she moved gracefully through the undergrowth. She moved swiftly and quietly, like a deer. Fíli felt awkward and clumsy behind her, but she didn't once scold him for it.

They found a message from Dwalin: _wheels._

"They are on a wagon," Fíli said, pointing at Dwalin's message. The dwarrowdam wouldn't have found it, since she didn't know to look. She nodded, believing him.

"I'll stay here, you bring the horses."

Fíli jogged back to their horses obediently. When he came back, she was sitting on a clearing in the very spot where the sun shone through the leaves, her face turned to the warm light.

"I'm back," he announced, and immediately felt stupid for it. She must have heard him all along. She didn't comment though – she took the reins, got into the saddle, and kept a steady pace following the clear wheeltracks.

They noticed Dwalin not far ahead of them, when they reached the edge of the forest.

"Race?" he offered. She raised an eyebrow, and nodded.

They caught up to Dwalin soon, and Fíli had the strange urge to laugh. It felt more like a fun day during the year he spent with Dwalin and the caravans, than a desperate rescue mission. Dwalin acknowledged their presence with a nod, and they increased their pace. With three of them against the offenders, they had little to fear.

They only slowed down when they noticed the wagon.

 _Kidnappers,_ Dwalin signed. _Four at least. Amateurs._

 _You're going in for the girl,_ Fíli signed back. _We stay outside._

It was safer that way. As King, he had to leave the riskier moves to others, and while they could see the enemy outside, they didn't know what awaited them inside.

"I only have small weapons," the cartographer spoke up. "I guess you're discussing tactics, but I've never learnt Iglishmek."

"At least you have a good head on your shoulders!"

A huge grin spread on Fíli's face: it was high praise, indeed, coming from Dwalin.

"Here!" Fíli handed her one of his twin blades.

She took it carefully.

The dwarrowdam took initiative, and rode ahead of the wagon to stop them, while Fíli and Dwalin took out a few of them from behind. They were dwarves; two plus three sat on the sides, guarding the precious cargo hidden under the covers. One sat at the front – the appearance of the dwarrowdam spooked the horses, but thanks to the clever maneuver of the driver, the wagon stopped safely.

Fíli and Dwalin knocked out the guards in the meanwhile, and Dwalin moved to peek inside.

He cried out, which alerted both Fíli and the cartographer. They leaped together, in the end the 'dam letting him push her back.

"Secure the horses," he said to her. She was doing very well so far, but for Fíli, it was painfully obvious that her bravado was greater than her skill. He almost took back his sword seeing the way she held it, but she held it with a rare confidence, which softened Fíli's heart. His sword had gone through worse, and she (as in the sword) would get extra special care after this grabby trauma.

He climbed into the wagon after Dwalin, and he cried out, too, taking in the scene. Raya sat tightly bound at the back of the carriage. Bruises discolored her beautiful face, marked by glistening lines of fallen tears. Dwalin had his axes trained on the two other occupants of the wagon: a whimpering dwarrowdam, scared out of her wits, and a stern-faced rotund dwarf, trying to control his shaking. Dwalin was a scary, mean goat-fucker straight out of your nightmares, when you crossed him.

"Get the girl," Dwalin barked. "My hands are a little full."

Raya looked like she couldn't comprehend the situation, and she screamed when Fíli touched her.

"Shh, it's me, Fíli," he said softly. "I'm taking you back to Erebor. It's going to be alright. Everything is going to be alright. You are safe now, and we will heal you."

Untying the knots looked too difficult, so he took a knife to cut through them. Unfortunately, despite his gentle reassurances, Raya couldn't stop shaking, and Fíli's knife cut into her skin several times. Fíli hissed, but she didn't seem to feel the pain anymore.

He softly got her into his arms, and she leaned heavily on his shoulder.

"Mama," she whispered. "Mama, why won't you help?" she murmured.

"I'm not your Mama," Fíli said on a low voice. "I'm sorry. I can't get her for you."

"Mama, please, Mama, I hate you!" she cried.

"Which of you elvenhearted stuckup is her Mama?" Dwalin growled, looking at the dwarrowdam, obviously.

"Her!" squealed the dwarf facing his other axe.

"Her!" Dwalin snapped. "Grasper doesn't seem to like her much," he stated with a happy grin. "Grasper doesn't like parents who wouldn't help their kids! Likes to grasp their souls!"

The dwarrowdam was trembling now, without making a sound.

"But Keeper is wondering," Dwalin continued, comically furrowing his brows. "If she is her Mama, you, sitting in here with them all alone, must be her Papa!" He pushed Keeper to the dwarf's neck in a swift movement. "Is Keeper right? Oh-oh, no," Dwalin interrupted when the dwarf wanted to speak up. "She would like to have a taste to know for sure!" Now, Dwalin made a low chuckling sound. "Keeper also likes to keep what she tastes! What do you say, Your Majesty?"

Fíli, who listened to Dwalin's performance with a smile tugging on his lips, finally managed to turn to look.

"I think knock them out, bind them and take them to the Mountain. They are guilty of kidnapping a citizen of Erebor for now, but who knows, by the time we can determine their identity, I can make up a law about the punishment of harmful parents. How does death penalty sound to you?"

Dwalin agreed, and Fíli turned to the kidnappers-turned-prisoners with a smile. "Sounds good to you too? I care a lot for the happiness of my people!"

Blood run out of the dwarf's face so fast he fainted. The dwarrowdam held up better, but Dwalin had no qualms about knocking her out too. He bound them tightly.

"Oi, Lass!" he called out to the cartographer. "If you know some healing, now would be the time to say so!"

She poked her head into the wagon. "I know the basics."

Dwalin helped Fíli laying Raya down, while the cartographer climbed in. Dwalin went to bind the others, and he hauled them onto the horses like sacks. The dwarrowdam finished her examination.

"We should take her back to Erebor. The less shaking the better, but I found no life-threatening injury."

"I'm going to hold her," Fíli promised. The dwarrowdam left him with another of her trademark weird glares, and climbed out to take the reins.

They spent the road in silence. Fíli's mind was whirling with the day's events, and he cursed Kíli for his horrible timing. He prayed for Raya, and vowed to make right by her.

He wouldn't let her parents close to her, ever again. As he said to Dwalin, she was a citizen of Erebor now. She belonged to him, just like the other dwarrowdams who arrived with her. He may not want to get to know them personally, but he can't hide from them anymore. He was their King, and he had a responsibility to give them a home, making an unconditional, wordless promise by allowing them to settle in the Lonely Mountain.

Amad waited for them, pacing in the stables, just like in the morning. Dwalin called for guards, who took the prisoners down to the dungeons. He left with them. Dís, seeing their state, called for healers and a stretcher. The cartographer stayed sat until they arrived, in case the horses spooked. It was very thoughtful by her. Fíli didn't move until the healers moved Raya safely onto the stretcher. They wanted to fuss over him too.

"It's just dirt," he shook them off.

The cartographer talked quietly to Dís, and when he approached them, she gave the sword back to him.

"Thanks. I wouldn't know what to do with it, but having it in my hand felt right. Safe. I can stab from farther. Thanks."

"Her," Fíli corrected her. "Not it. Her. She has a name too, just like her sister."

This earned another weird glare, and she sashayed out of the stables before he could infect her with his stupidity.

"You seem to get on well," Amad commented. Fíli started his usual annoyed protestations, but Amad was smiling with pride. "You did it," she embraced him, touching her forehead to his. "You brought her back, and I don't know how to thank you."

"Maybe I can go back to brooding with Bard?" he asked. He had half a mind to do that.

"Must you?"

"I don't think Sigrid will let me in there again in the near future," he shrugged, "and Kíli is missing, so I'm out of drinking buddies."

* * *

 **A/N:** That's it. This chapter practically wrote itself. Raya's back, Fíli met the Cartographer, and he came to realize something important. He'll face the dwarrowdams in the next chapter, which would be the last one of this story. Of course, there would be more, since justice has to be done, and I want to explore Fíli's change of heart a little more, and of course, we'll see Kíli's journey too, so stay tuned for a sequel!

SV


	11. Not Alone

**Not Alone**

As it turned out, Fíli wasn't out of drinking buddies. Dwalin was waiting for him in front of his room with a dark glare.

Fíli let him in. Dwalin stalked in and immediately picked out a bottle and filled a glass.

"What is this crap?" he growled after tasting the drink.

"That's for enemies," Fíli commented, pulling out a bottle of Best Friend from under his desk. "This is for friends!"

Dwalin liked it better.

"Is she alright?" he asked finally.

"She will be, I guess. Amad is with her. She will bring news later." He sat down with an exasperated sigh. "What am I to do with _them_?"

"Kill them."

For Dwalin, this was not a question. For him, it was easy to decide: wrongdoing deserves punishment. Death is the cleanest punishment. They chose to be criminals, they brought it upon themselves.

Fíli tended to agree with him on these matters: he didn't like to overcomplicate things either. On the other hand, he had learnt the different aspects of decision-making from different people. Thorin and Balin always chided him for being hasty and suggested more caution and less impulse. Their lectures were useful, but still, Fíli learnt the most from Dwalin during that year on the road. Fíli left his home with a broken heart and strong, ambivalent feelings that didn't make much sense back then. At first, he made foolish mistakes, but soon, he had to face the reality where actions always had consequences.

He had to learn to clear his head and keep his priorities straight. Act, instead of talk.

"We're not on the road anymore," Fíli argued.

"So?"

"So we can't just kill them."

"We should've killed them out there," Dwalin stated, and kicked a chair in his frustration.

Fíli was fiddling with his own half-empty glass, pondering if he can voice his own opinion.

 _Perhaps we should've killed them and make it look like an accident. Perhaps we should've killed them and leave them there to rot and be eaten by orcs. Perhaps we should've just simply killed them, and not care about the consequences._

Dwalin looked at him with his darkest glare, but Fíli wouldn't look away.

"Perhaps," he said.

This silenced Dwalin.

Fíli raised his eyebrows, daring him to say something. Dwalin's beard started shaking, hiding his amusement. Fíli allowed a smile spread on his lips too. They developed an easy camaraderie back then, and they had no trouble finding it again now in a similar situation, when all they could count on was each other.

"We're not on the road anymore, Dwalin," he said slowly, trying to cover his mirth with a warning tone.

Dwalin snorted. "It's hard to tell! You're still the same, annoying, whiny whelp, you know!"

They couldn't hold back their laughter anymore.

Sometimes they looked up at each other, trying to breathe, but their attempts at forming words resulted in laughter with renewed force. They weren't really laughing at specific jokes or stories; it was a laughter born of anger and hopelessness, a laughter to wash the tension out of their bodies and to neutralize the cruelty of what they'd seen.

They couldn't stop it even if they wanted to.

...they didn't want to. Others may say that such cheerfulness was quite inappropriate in the light of the day's events, but they weren't gloating, and they had no malicious intention.

No, they were simply two tired dwarves facing the hard truth that there were bad people out in the world and they could do little against them. Even so, those people weren't even necessarily evil in their intention – Raya's parents acted out of misguided worry, Fíli suspected.

No, there was no other way to release this tension.

"What's going on here?!"

An outraged Dís stood in the open doorway. They tried to calm down, but they couldn't do it fast enough. She strode into the room, and both dwarves got a sobering smack on the head.

"What in Mahal's name are you laughing at after such a disastrous day?!" She stood in front of them, her arms crossed on her chest. "Even you two, too! Don't I have enough trouble without you two grating on my nerves?!"

Her scolding had an immediate effect, as both dwarves were standing now, trying to placate the dwarrowdam.

"Amad, it's not like that. We were just mentioning…" Fíli glanced at Dwalin for help, but he only shrugged. They weren't exactly mentioning anything. "We were just… Remember when I went away with Dwalin?"

"Of course I remember!" Dís answered.

"What happens on the road, stays on the road!" Dwalin interrupted, rudely elbowing Fíli in the ribs to prevent him from telling anything indecent. Of course, Fíli knew that by himself, but Dwalin's comment silenced Dís too.

"Alright, I don't want to know!" she backed off. She had her own journey she'd never talked about.

Fíli shrugged. "How is Raya?"

"Sleeping. She's going to heal eventually, but her injuries are extensive. We have to take measures to make sure this won't happen again."

"Of course, Amad," Fíli said reassuringly.

"We could have foreseen this," she said, burying her face in her hands, trying to hide her tears. Both dwarves knew how rarely she allowed herself to cry; Fíli moved immediately to comfort her, which only made her sob harder. Seeing Raya so broken shook her deeply. She'd seen her own sons beaten up a good couple of times during the years, but at least they were able to defend themselves, and Dís could always be sure that _"the other guy looked worse"_. Raya was totally unprotected from this kind of danger.

"We have to do something," she said on a calmer voice, but still sniffing.

"We can't do much, Amad," Fíli said. "I'm sorry."

They waited until she regained her composure.

"I should go and speak to the dwarrowdams; Vera promised to call off the party and gather them together. What can I say to them?" she asked Fíli on a small voice.

"I'm going with you. I need to clear up a few things," Fíli said, and glared at Dwalin, who tried to sneak away behind Dís' back. "You're coming too!"

"Why would I go there?" he asked, with thinly veiled anxiety.

"To support whatever I say, obviously! And as far as I remember, you used to enjoy your hero-status, didn't you?"

Dwalin awkwardly massaged his neck, and made an even more awkward excuse about being tired. Something weird was going on with him, and it made Fíli curious.

Naturally, the dwarrowdams knew something was amiss. They had to know: Vera called off the party citing fatigue after the Dale excursion, but clearly, the 'dams didn't buy it. They too must have noticed Raya missing.

Fíli fidgeted in the corner. He wasn't wearing his crown, not even his usual regal clothes. He was still dressed for the search, blood smeared on his trousers and his hair dulled by dirt. He had a fleeting thought that he would like to have the Cartographer here too – at least she was a dwarrowdam, she must be better at talking to dwarrowdams, especially about such delicate matters! He realized with shame that he didn't even ask her name.

Dís was talking to Vera on a hushed voice, before clapping her hands to gain their attention. Dwalin seemed to shrink next to Fíli. Weren't he under the scrutiny of several dozens of nervous dwarrowdams, he would surely tease him, but now, he had to step forward and tell them something to ease their worries.

Amad quickly told them how Raya went missing, but his turn came entirely too soon.

"I apologize," he began, praying to Mahal for his voice wouldn't tremble. "It shouldn't have happened in the first place, and if you're worried, your worries are not misplaced. These incidents _can_ happen, and I can't promise you a safer environment or even more guards."

There was unhappy grumbling, but Vera shushed them.

"I can only promise you that if something like this happens ever again, I will do everything to make it right. I can't erase the memories from Raya's mind, but I'm not going to lock her under the mountain for her safety. Erebor is not that kind of place. You are free dwarves, not prisoners. The only thing I can guarantee is your freedom and independence; use it well, use it wisely, and do not fear. I'm offering it to Raya and to all of you. You came here to build a new life, find a new home, and I want to give you that, to all of you. And I can, too."

Fíli heard hushed voices again, but this time, Vera didn't react. He looked over the group, trying to find the most displeased faces – to his surprise, there weren't many.

"As you now live in Erebor, you all belong to me, and I don't take kindly to those who try to hurt what's mine. I went after Raya, and I would do the same for every single inhabitant of Erebor."

Now that he made it clear, he felt a little unsure how to broach his next subject. He remembered the awkward lunch with Kíli, Kasia and their friends. He should've gotten to know them, and his avoidance must have caused an upset. Sigrid's words from the morning echoed in his mind.

"I know that between the walls of the…" he tried hard not to flinch at the words: "Courting Hall, I'm supposed to be a regular dwarf, someone you can be friendly or angry with, but do not, for a moment, forget that I am more. I am your King, and I'm reminding you, because this means I'm responsible for every single one of you. If anything of… of such grievous nature… or even the possibility occurs to you, you can come straight to me, and I will listen regardless of what happens within the boundaries of the Spring Tour. You are under my protection in this Mountain, and I'm not the sort of person to deny help out of malice or for a perceived slight."

Fíli hoped they believed him, and felt relief and surprise at the same time, when he heard murmurs of agreement. He awaited at least a little bit of an uproar, but everyone seemed so… deferential.

"Lady Vera and Lady Dís will bring you news about Raya and the upcoming trial of her attackers. I bid you a good night."

He quickly exited the room.

He knew he could stay and soothe their nerves, answer a few questions and just generally be pleasant, but honestly, he wanted to leave this part to others. Amad had a natural talent with these things, and even Dwalin, too, who always listened patiently to women's woes – Fíli saw from the corner of his eyes that a dwarrowdam already attached herself to his arm. _Typical._

No, Fíli wasn't the one who whispered the pretty words into their ears. He told them the hard truth of what he would and couldn't give. He provided for them and did everything in his power to keep them safe.

He caught Nori lurking nearby, and rewarded his eavesdropping with a glare, which he returned. He would deal with him one day, but really, who was he to judge over a secret affair?

Tonight, he wanted to miss Flor as he always did, but thinking of her made him realize how far he would go if something like this happened to her. Today, he had to face how much responsibility truly laid on his shoulders, and seeing it wasn't pretty. He didn't want to imagine Flor in Raya's position, and he didn't want to imagine himself then.

He wasn't sure Flor would be able to support him now. He'd just declared himself to grant home and assistance to thirty-or-so dwarrowdams – Flor only ever wanted him to ensure their own happiness. He wouldn't be able to focus solely on themselves now; maybe she'd already known it and that's why she'd left, to make it easier for him.

Fíli half-wished he could go back in time and give his all to her, but he also knew that he was just being a whiny whelp as Dwalin said. Focusing on her took up so much of his time, despite the fact that she wasn't here, that she left him more than fifteen years ago.

However, the Spring Travelers were here, just like his family, his cousins, his friends, and a lot of dwarves with their kin – all counting on him. He can't chase silly fantasies of the past anymore.

It was time to face reality and grow up.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **A/N:** ...and not the end.

Though Fíli made his peace with this new arrangement, there's a lot of question still, I know. Where did Kíli go and what he'll find? What happens with Raya and her parents? Will anyone get married? Will Fíli truly get over his heartbreak? Will he find love eventually?

You can find answers in the sequel: **King of Erebor - Justice** , which is coming tomorrow! (See, **Emrfangirl**? Thanks for the review! And leaving out her name for now is intentional - Fíli simply forgot to ask.)

So, before you go over there, can you drop me a few words in the box below? Tell me what you did or didn't like. That would make me very happy.

Thanks for reading!

 _SV_


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